New Orleans x Rebel Art Space Opens Historic Venue to Contemporary Art
Kicks Off with ‘Dystopia’ the New Solo Exhibition by ‘Vasan Sitthiket’
Once home to the Bangkok World newspaper office, established in 1960, and later a renowned restaurant on the Phra Nakhon side of Bangkok, the historic venue – known today as New Orleans x Rebel Art Space – has reopened as a contemporary hub. Art enthusiasts are invited to check out the place and explore the world from a different perspective through “Dystopia,” an exhibition by artist-cum social activist Vasan Sitthiket. Highlights include “Lord Buddha visit this world 2024.” Measuring 3 x 6 meters, it is one of the artist’s largest works and exclusively created for display at this venue.
Dystopia, a collaboration between New Orleans and Rebel Art Space, is held to mark the reopening of the venue after the New Orleans restaurant temporarily closed in 2020. Breathing new life into this European-style heritage building, steeped in the capital’s history, the initiative revives the place as a contemporary space that unites people, food, art, and culture. Launching the venue’s Art Space zone with the exhibition by Vasan truly creates a fascinating dialogue between contemporary art and the historical context of the location.
To the artist, Dystopia presents not just the dark side of the world but also his thoughts, wisdom, and lessons drawn from his past artistic endeavors as well as socio-political activism. This art event serves as a voice communicating with society, questioning the world we once knew and what is currently happening to Mother Earth and humanity.
The artist’s reflective works feature the once-abundant natural world with seas, mountains, rivers, and forests, along with the worsening climate crisis, erratic seasons, droughts, extreme temperatures, and devastating floods. Dystopia therefore invites visitors to reflect on power structures, capitalism, consumerism, wars, and the economic and political mechanisms that influence lives worldwide.
True to his approach that has never separated art from society, Vasan conveys contemporary issues in a straightforward, ferocious, and powerfully questioning manner. His works at Dystopia do not merely invite audiences to observe “the world as it is unfolding,” but also urge them to reflect on the role of humanity and question the kind of future we are building for ourselves.
The choice of Dystopia as the inaugural exhibition of New Orleans x Rebel Art Space is particularly intriguing. The venue, once a newspaper office and part of Bangkok’s history of communication, is once again becoming a space for “communication” — this time, moving beyond words on paper to images, sounds and ideas expressed through contemporary art.
Dystopia by Vasan Sitthiket will run from 28 August to 29 November 2026 at New Orleans on Phra Sumen Road (200 meters from Phan Fa Intersection) between 10am and 6pm (Friday – Sunday only). This art exhibition will officially open on 28 August 2026 at 5pm, featuring special activities on the opening day and various programs each month.
Exhibition Information
- Exhibition: Dystopia by Vasan Sitthiket
- Artist: Vasan Sitthiket
- Dates: 28 August – 29 November 2026
- Opening Hours: Friday – Sunday from 10a m to 6pm
- Parking Zone: Deves Insurance Building
- FB: New Orleans BKK
- IG: bkk
- TikTok: @neworleans.bkk
