Featuring 76 artists and collectives from 39 countries across 11 venues in Thailand’s capital city, the Bangkok Art Biennale highlights pressing global issues such as environmental stewardship, emphasising humanity’s responsibility toward Mother Earth. In addition to Gaia, the goddess of Earth in ancient Greek mythology, the biennale underscores that nature has long been associated with various goddesses, such as Prithvi (or Bhumi) in Hindu mythology and Phra Mae Thorani from the Buddhist mythology of Theravada in Southeast Asia.

‘Gaia’ may at first seem like an odd Eurocentric reference in Southeast Asia, but it is motivated by its consonance with the Thai word ‘kāyā’ (กายา), derived from Sanskrit and meaning ‘body’. Thus, the title Nurture Gaia in English can also be understood as ‘Healing the Body’ (รักษา กายา) in Thai. The Biennale is curated by Apinan Poshyananda, the chief executive and artistic director of the Bangkok Art Biennale since its inception in 2018, alongside a team of curators primarily based in Thailand—Pojai Akratanakul, Brian Curtin and Paramaporn Sirikulchayanont—along with Akiko Miki, the director of the Naoshima New Museum, which is set to open in Japan in 2025.