PHIMAILONGWEEK 2025: MIDNIGHT MONSOON
PHIMAILONGWEEK 2025: MIDNIGHT MONSOON
Welcome to PHIMAILONGWEEK,
PHIMAILONGWEEK (พิมายฬองวีค) is self-organized art festival by àt-sa-jan! collective, a collective of independent artists, writers, filmmakers, and curators, and aims to showcase contemporary time-based media artworks that reflect the new ideas and possibilities of emerging artists both within and outside the Phimai area. Initiated by local residents, the project has garnered significant support from the Phimai Historical Park, the 10th Fine Arts Department of Nakhon Ratchasima, and Phimai Subdistrict Municipality.
พ⌓มายฬองว⬏ค
พ⌓มายฬองว⬏ค
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We chose the provincial town of Phimai, the hometown of one of the members, as our setting. Phimai is not only an ancient city but also home to vibrant communities working to develop the town through art and various initiatives. The name "PHIMAILONGWEEK" playfully incorporates the Thai word "ลอง /lɔːŋ/," meaning "to try," embodying the spirit of experimentation and risk-taking at the heart of the initiative.
During this event, artists have the opportunity to showcase their work, receive valuable feedback, and engage with the local community. Beyond its immediate impact, PHIMAILONGWEEK aspires to develop a lasting sense of community and revitalize the cultural landscape of Phimai.
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Press Inquiries
Dear Journalists,
If you have any press inquiries or would like more information, we’re happy to assist. Feel free to reach out, and we can also add you to our press mailing list if you'd like to stay updated.
For any questions, please contact us at:
atsajancollective@gmail.comBest regards,
àt-sa-jan! collective -
àt-sa-jan! collective is a group of independent artists, writers, filmmakers, and curators dedicated to showcasing contemporary time-based media artworks. The collective aims to highlight innovative ideas and possibilities from emerging artists while actively exploring and advancing discussions on curatorial practices and theoretical frameworks.
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PHIMAILONGWEEK first edition emerged from the collaboration of artists and curators aiming to create a site-specific art exhibition outside Bangkok. Organized naturally through a self-organized approach, the event seeks to establish a platform for exchanging ideas, critiques, and encouraging artists to create their own exhibition spaces.
The event focuses on exploring five key themes: memory, ritual, identity, magic, and the universe—a reflection of the effort to connect art, place, and cultural meaning.
The work in PHIMAILONGWEEK emphasizes the exploration of the history and identity of Phimai, fostering relationships between artists and the local community. It also aims to bring diversity and vibrancy to the old town of Phimai, moving beyond its traditional roles as a site of historical preservation or a museum. This initiative reimagines Phimai as a space for fresh artistic experimentation and creative potential.
CURATORIAL
In the chronicles of Rivulet, it is written that within the timeless spiritual realm, we can never truly know when we are freed from the dread of the torrential rains. It is but for a fleeting moment that we witness the grand motion of the seven fluffy clouds as they unleash the mighty thunder, expanding their dominion. The rains descend in glittering and drenching until the light of the sun reappears once again—prophesying us to ponder who we are.
Phimailongweek takes us through the gathering of our collective efforts who together weave a conversation that spans the wireless and the base from Phimai, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Mahasarakham and Berlin.
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EDITION 2: MIDNIGHT MONSOON
For PHIMAILONGWEEK 2nd edition, midnight monsoon serves as a metaphor for the climatic conditions in Southeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific region, where societies grapple with a volatile socio-political climate, the oppressive heat and humidity, the spirit of constant change, and the relentless movement of cultural winds. All these elements converge like a monsoon, yearning for a solution or a sustainable way of life. The exhibition will contemplate the role of contemporary art practices in envisioning and dreaming of a future amidst these crises. Taking place at Historical Phimai town in Nakhon Rachasima, PHIMAILONGWEEK 2025 will feature a weekend of extensive discourse and performance programme, and a series of workshops and working sessions as a prologue to the festival.
venues
Phimai Historical Park
Once known as Vimayapura, this was a major administrative center of the Khmer Empire. The imposing Prasat Hin Phimai temple complex dates to the 11th–12th centuries, reflecting both Hindu and Mahayana‑Buddhist traditions and linked to Angkor by a straight royal highway. It underwent major restorations between 1964–1969 and was opened as a Thai Historical Park in 1989
Wat Derm
An old local temple (Wat Doem) incorporated into the heritage trail. Historic temples in Phimai often pre‑date or post‑date the Khmer layers, serving the community continuously. Though specific historical sources on Wat Derm are limited online, its inclusion in PHIMAILONGWEEK underlines its cultural resonance as part of Old Town’s living religious fabri
the Old Wooden House (No. 85)
A traditional Thai-Isan timber house located within Phimai’s heritage district, this building exemplifies the vernacular residential architecture commonly constructed in the late 19th to early 20th century. Although precise records of its construction are unavailable, the house has undergone various adaptations over time, serving at different points as a salon and later as a car repair shop. Today, it remains unoccupied and is available for rental, standing as a reminder of the town’s layered histories and everyday architectural heritage.
Phimai National Museum
Established in 1964 as an outdoor display, the museum now houses a rich Khmer archaeological collection, lintels, bronze ornaments and sculptures unearthed from Prasat Hin Phimai and surrounding provinces. A significant renovation made it internationally standard, and the refurbished complex was inaugurated by Princess Sirindhorn in 1993
Sra Bot
Sra Bot is an ancient reservoir, or baray, located west of Phimai’s old city walls. On September 26, 2020, a turtle-shaped foundation stone (sila ruek tao) was discovered on its central islet. Such stones, often found at water-related monuments in Khmer culture, symbolized prosperity and were linked to ritual consecrations.
Old SPO. (Phimai Teachers Association)
This legacy institution, formerly known as “SPO Phimai,” historically served the local teaching community and now functions as the Phimai Teachers’ Association, hosting meetings and educational gatherings. Typical of mid-20th-century civic architecture in provincial towns, the building exemplifies a tradition of collective initiative, having been established through the efforts of local educators who financed and constructed it independently.
Have a project? let’s collab together!
Feel free to contact us via email or fill out our contact form to discuss the details for your upcoming project. We’re excited to work with you as we believed in power of collective work!
