Artists
ARTISTs of S.O.E SOUND OF ERA : NHONG KHAI , SRI CHIANG MAI – THA BO, UDON THANI
SOUND OF ERA
The S.O.E Festival 2025 is approaching quickly, and it’s going to be unforgettable!
This year
S.O.E 2025: Sound of Era
A Contemporary Art Festival Echoing the Voices of History, Humanity, and Hope
S.O.E 2025: Sound of Era will be a powerful collective cry an evocative symphony of cultural diversity, historical memory, and the enduring belief in human equality. This year’s festival will expand its footprint across three provinces in Northeastern Thailand: Si Chiang Mai and Tha Bo districts in Nong Khai, Mueang district in Udon Thani, and will culminate in Khon Kaen the birthplace of the S.O.E initiative.
This edition aims to weave together the threads of contemporary history, society, and culture through the dynamic processes of contemporary art. With a strong focus on the Mekong River region, S.O.E 2025 will highlight the potential of these cross-border localities to foster awareness, stimulate the creative economy, and enhance cooperation between local and international communities.
SOUND OF ERA: KHON KAEN
The final stop of the S.O.E. 2025:Sound of Era contemporary art festival in Khon Kaen the lineup of over 30 artists.
KULTX Collaborative is a contemporary art space in Khon Kaen that does not exist merely as a venue for exhibitions. Rather, it functions as a space for learning and experimentation, where art and everyday life coexist. The intention of this space is to open up art as a connective practice linking it to local contexts, cultures, and lived experiences. Through exhibitions, activities, and ongoing collaborative processes with artists and communities in the region, art here is not separated from people. Instead, it gradually permeates perception, memory, and shared acts of questioning.
The expansion of this dialogue is also evident in MAIELIE, an art space by Kaen Nakhon Lake that serves as an open platform for questioning social, political, and mainstream historical narratives. This space does not attempt to provide definitive answers; rather, it allows diverse voices to emerge, move, and confront one another directly. Gathering, dialogue, and public presence thus become integral parts of the artwork itself.
Within the festival S.O.E: Sound of the Era, art spaces are extended far beyond the walls of the gallery. Khon Kaen School for the Deaf is transformed into a site that challenges the very meaning of the word “Sound” a place where sound is detached from hearing and translated through the body, the gaze, silence, and the collective perception of those who share the space.
Some of the works have been selected from the exhibition venue in Udon Thani. If you missed the opportunity to see them then, you can still experience these artworks once again in Khon Kaen.
SOUND OF ERA: NONG KHAI, SRI CHIANG MAI – THA BO
We are excited to announce the first lineup of 39 artists for S.O.E. 2025: Sound of Era.
The festival begins at its first key landmark—Nong Khai, with exhibitions across Sri Chiang Mai and Tha Bo.
Sri Chiang Mai, a former border town and historic river port opposite Vientiane, is a place where diverse cultures, stories, and histories continue to shape the present. Venue at Art Bank, the Hundred-Year House, and Wat Phra That Khao.
Tha Bo, known for its renowned tobacco plantations, transforms into a breathtaking “Tobacco Field” along the Mekong in December. Visitors can experience the warmth of the community, learn about local tobacco craft, and enjoy film screenings at Song Hao Song Kao (2529).
Organized by KULTX Collaborative in collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization) Northeastern Region Office, MAIELIE Khon Kaen, The Japan Foundation, Bangkok, Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation, Matsuura Art Foundation, Goethe-Institut Thailand, The Fine Arts Department, Office 8, Khon Kaen, Sri Chiang Mai Subdistrict Municipality, Khon Kaen School for the Deaf and Jingjoe Studio.
We are pleased to announce the full artist lineup participating in the second chapter of S.O.E. 2025: Sound of Era contemporary art festival. Total of 19 artists will exhibit their works reflecting the zeitgeist of Udon Thani.
Along the railway that cuts the city, a new era of Udon Thani began. The arrival of the Upper Isan railway, before Mittraphap Road, the whistle from the iron tracks brought life, commerce, and growth to the city.
Udon Thani is a buffer-state territory shaped by layers of war, culture, and archaeology. It is a city of thresholds and connections, formed along the lines of railways and major roads. The exhibition venue at Thai Nguan Rice Mill and Holiday Massage reflect overlapping layers of development, economy, and memory that have accumulated across different eras of the city.
The Vennues in Udon Thani province will be open to the public from December 20th to 30th, 2025, with the opening ceremony on December 26th, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates!
Organized by KULTX Collaborative in collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization) Northeastern Region Office, MAIELIE Khon Kaen, The Japan Foundation, Bangkok, Toshiaki Ogasawara Memorial Foundation, Matsuura Art Foundation, Goethe-Institut Thailand, The Fine Arts Department, Office 8, Khon Kaen, Sri Chiang Mai Subdistrict Municipality, Khon Kaen School for the Deaf and Jingjoe Studio.
On the right: Governor’s Palace, detail of the main gate
Press
This year’s festival will expand its footprint across three provinces in Northeastern Thailand: Si Chiang Mai and Tha Bo districts in Nong Khai, Mueang district in Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen
S.O.E ARTFESTIVAL 