Danish Photographer, Ulf Svane, is passionate about capturing everyday moments of ordinary people living and working in Bangkok. He has loved Bangkok for many years and can’t stop coming back for more.
The Danish award winning photographer Ulf Svane is currently having an exhibition in Bangkok titled ‘Bangkok Archive’. It is an expression of Ulf Svanes love of Bangkok and the urban, traditional features that you can find in the city.
This exhibition was first presented as a part of Bangkok Design Week, and has since changed location from Mahapho Gallery to C43 Gallery. The exhibition has been available since the end of January. However, after talking with Ulf Svane it is clear that even though the exhibition hasn’t been around for that long, the love story between Ulf Svane and Bangkok has been around a while longer.
An urge to travel and a golden opportunity
Ten years ago when Ulf Svane was still doing his apprenticeship to become a photographer he had an urge for traveling.
“I spoke to my mentor, Niels Busch, and he told me about some production companies in Thailand that he knew off.”
The opportunity to go and experience the city and see the work the companies did had been a very ‘open invitation’ kind of thing. However Ulf Svane was intrigued and decided to accept the opportunity. Mainly the decision was made due to an urge for adventure. Thailand however wasn’t what he expected. It was better:
“I had the classic expectations when I thought of Thailand. You know sand beaches, street vendors and things like that. Then I arrived and my new acquaintances showed me around in Bangkok. I couldn’t believe how amazing this city was. So many different areas”.
That first trip to Thailand unintentionally set the tone for the next ten years of Ulf Svanes life. He has lived for longer and shorter periods of time in Thailand, and to this day he aims to spend approximately half the year in Bangkok. The acquaintances he met when he arrived have now turned into good friends and he continues to explore new parts of Bangkok.
Constant change
While dividing his time between Copenhagen and Bangkok Ulf Svane founded a new concept with Mathias Kobberrød Rasmussen, a Danish historian. Copenhagen Archive has a focus on the change happening in Copenhagen. It shows the everyday life of people living in the city. Aiming to shed light on the authentic, but however rather hidden parts of the city.
Right now there is an opening planned for Copenhagen Archive at Copenhagen Museum on 1 May 2024. Simultaneously the archive has a book that is getting published about the work of Copenhagen Archive.
To read more about Copenhagen Archive click here.
“Change is happening so fast in the bigger cities! It is important to stop and document life now, because soon it will change,” says Ulf Svane, when speaking of the motivation behind the project.
Especially, he adds when we look at the massive urbanization of people moving from the countryside and into Bangkok.
Copenhagen Archive was founded in 2020 and two years later Ulf Svane implemented the same concept in Bangkok.
And then the Bangkok Archive was born. Ulf Svane was, as he often is, in Bangkok walking with a list of recommendations from locals trying to document the hidden corners and gems of Bangkok.
The Ball keeps rolling
“Well, the list is only growing, so I plan on making another exhibition showing the people of Bangkok,” Ulf Svane says.
He also states that Bangkok changes so fast, that he finds it especially important to go out and experience the different parts of the city:
“Bangkok is huge, loud and very diverse. We have highly paid people living in large condominiums, but we also have to remember that before there was a condominium, someone else lived there,” He states, explaining how the people that lived in the areas before construction might not have the means to stay when the condominiums arrive.
“I just wish for a Bangkok that has room for people from all layers of society.”
So, Ulf Svane documents. Walking the streets of Bangkok trying out different routes to see new aspects of the city.
His wish is that the people who see his pictures will remember the smaller spots in Bangkok, and maybe get inspired to break their routines and see what lies down a different road.
Ulf Svane hopes that his documentation of the current state of the city can help facilitate conversations. The viewer can get reminded about the small local stores and ask themself: What type of city do we want to build in the future and who should there be room for?
His exhibition at C43 Gallery will continue until 22 March 2024.
Read more about Bangkok Archive on its Instagram and website.
