If you've been to Iconsiam on Charoen Nakhon Road, you may have noticed decorative pieces and artworks inside and outside the riverside mall. If you've ever wondered where to find the highlights, we have a cheat sheet to help you find eight masterpieces and the stories behind them.
1) Located on the G floor in the Iconluxe zone, 'Symbols of Suvarnabhumi Embody Light of Wisdom' by Preecha Thaothong represents by four 16-meter-tall golden pillars at Iconsiam's first gate from the Chao Phraya River’s side. Exquisite visual arts adorn the pillars in a delicate yet powerful style. Each pillar tells the stories of Suvarnabhumi or Golden Land of Southeast Asia, which has Thailand at its centre.
2) Near the pillars, you will find an artwork named 'Mae Nam' or 'River' on the ceiling. Located within the same zone, a 3D form of the Thai traditional Thai-style flame (kanok plew) pattern was created by world-class art studio Haberdashery Studio from England. It's a display of dazzling dynamics as silver, gold and copper-alloy colours catch the light. The glitter from sculptures creates reflections on water surface represented by the white ceiling. Together they convey the power of the flowing river which, in this case, is the Chao Phraya River that Iconsiam sits next to.
3) Next is the one and only giant glass chandelier, which adorns the corridor between the Iconluxe zone and Iconsiam. Designed by Czech design and manufacturing firm LASVIT, this artistic creation draws inspiration from Thais’ world-famous hospitality. Inspired by Thailand's reputation as “The Land of Smiles”, this chandelier is modelled after a Thai-style flower garland. It represents Thai hospitality and reminds visitors of heartwarming Thai smiles.
4) Iconsiam's restrooms are artistic showcases, each boasting distinctive touch. Their exceptional designs are recgonised as “Bangkok’s Best Public Toilets” by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in 2019 and two year laters as “ASEAN-standard public toilets” by the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s Department of Tourism in 2021. In Sooksiamzone on the G floor, restrooms representing Thailand's Central and Northeast regions are exceptionally designed by Wasinburee Supanichvoraparch, the heir of Ratchaburi’s legendary ceramic factory “Tao Hong Tai Ceramics Factory”. Earthen jars in these public toilets are handmade. Each of them also features beautiful and precious designs. On these toilets’ walls are contemporary Thai paintings by Hooker’s Green, which tell the distinctive stories of various Thai regions.
5) Maria Guyomar de Pina’s or Thao Thong Kip Ma’s story has inspired this contemporary art creation, which resemble “golden egg-yolk dessert” and this work was inspired by the other art piece exhibited at the world’s biggest international art fair or Venice Biennale before. 'Golden Teardrop' decorates the main walkway on the M floor. Created by Arin Rungjang, this artistic piece showcases beautiful cultural overlays. The artist uses a subtle way to tell stories about society and culture. His choice of material is brass. His art object is cast at a Buddha-statue manufacturing facility.
6) Next on Iconsiam's art route is “Auspicious Poles”, which are visible on both the M and 1st floors of Iconsiam. Designed by internationally renowned printmaking Thai artist Thavorn Ko-Udomvit, eight glittering poles feature the leaf patterns of auspicious Thai plants namely Burma Padauk and Golden Shower. Golden lines on the poles represent dhamma and nature.
7) One of the significant outdoor masterpieces at Iconsiam is 'The Light of Siam' art wall, which is more than 60 metres long. Sittiwut Yavichai embraced one of Thai traditional arts, “Thai-style ancient coloured mirror”, in creating this magnificent piece of Buddhism-based art. With contemporary techniques, he presents his creation in an impressionist style. As natural light changes over different time of a day, this masterpiece exudes a different feelings and stories for its audiences.
8) The art-in-mall journey ends with 'Iconsiam The Makers (Power of United Thainess)' built with photo-collage technique. It is located prominently at Suralai Hall on the 7th floor. Its creator, Prateep Suthathongthai, is a leading printmaking and photo-collage artist. This giant photo collage contains all dimensions of Thainess embedded in Iconsiam. Included are also the makers as all the key contributors behind the artistic showcases of beautiful Thai culture. In total, more than 35,000 pictures have formed this giant collage. 10 metres by 27 metres in size, this collage features the word “Thai” splashed in the middle. Its font is a blend of contemporary and traditional Thainess.
All eight aforementioned masterpieces are a part of Iconsiam’s art treasure, there are more awaiting your discovery. More than 100 artists from various fields have made their contributions driving ICONSIAM as a public art space that will put Thai arts under global spotlight. Check out the artists’ interviews at bit.ly/8IconicArt.
