On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage Exhibition – Take 2
Following my first photo exhibition – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage – at Dialogue Coffee and Gallery back in 2017, I was lucky enough to find a new venue to do it all again!
Chris and I already knew of a little bar on Soi Nana called 23 Bar and Gallery. We used to go there for drinks. One day, I rustled up the courage to ask the owner – Mongkol – if it was possible to exhibit my photos in the art gallery upstairs. He said, YES!
23 bar and gallery is an old shop house with 2 floors, similar to Dialogue, but on a smaller scale. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to show the same 11 photos that I’d exhibited at Dialogue. But, that didn’t worry me, I was just happy that I got a chance to show my work a second time.
It was due to start on 9th February 2018, so a week beforehand, Chris and I schlepped across the city with the chosen photos to set up!
We were greeted by a cheerful Mongkol who handed us some nails, a hammer, and asked if we wanted a beer! It was thirsty work in the hot gallery upstairs!
It took us all of an hour, even less, to get everything set up. Maybe because we were experts at it after my first exhibition, probably because there were fewer pictures and we didn’t have to use wire to hang the photos!
We went and sat outside on the street with another beer. Mongkol seemed happy that I had chosen his bar to hold my exhibition, so he offered to pay for the beers. He even bought a pizza for us, which we ordered from El Chiringuito – a little Tapas bar down the road. We tried to pay him, but he wasn’t having any of it.
It turned out to be such a fun day.
We arrived for the opening night. My friends from work came along too as well as a few more people who popped in for a drink and wandered upstairs to take a look.
I didn’t sell anything this time, but it was still a proud moment for me.
Afterwards, we continued the party in Silom before heading home.
I have plans to do another exhibition somewhere in my home town and I’ll be researching potential venues when I can – watch this space!
The photos used for both exhibitions were a selection from my book – On The Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage.
You can also check out this video if you would like to see all the photos from my book.
I also created this short video of the photos used in my exhibitions.
I hope you enjoyed sharing this very special memory with me! 🙂