21/07/2026
O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2
A community art project returns on its 10th anniversary
Songkhla’s old town, Thailand
By Navin Rawanchaikul & studiOK
A decade ago, Thai contemporary artist Navin Rawanchaikul spent time getting to know the old town and people of the city of Songkhla in Southern Thailand, then created the community art project O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary in response. Now he is revisiting Songkhla’s old town, both physically and conceptually, with O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2 – an exhibition that expands on the community narratives uncovered in 2016 through a series of new artworks and conversations. Deriving its title from nakhon – one of the Thai words for city – and Singora – the historical name for the city and province of Songkhla – the project seeks to create space for community members to share their memories, stories and perspectives, and to reflect on the past, present and future of this ancient port city.
Rawanchaikul and his team’s fieldwork and community interviews across multiple generations have been transformed into a body of work that connects Songkhla’s local history and culture with present-day society. Central to the project is one of the artist’s signature works: a large-scale painting collating the stories gathered through his unique participatory approach. It blends intergenerational portraits of people, their lives and relationships, with important places and historical images of Songkhla. The outcomes also include a feature-length documentary film in which interviews with locals reveal community narratives, oral histories and personal memories. New footage is merged with old footage to reveal what, over the last decade, has changed and what has disappeared.
A travelogue by Rawanchaikul will also be published. Narrated in the form of a letter addressed to his daughter – who accompanied him on his first trip to Songkhla in 2016 – it blurs community stories with elements of his personal life and insights into the process of making art. A dialogue between father and daughter, this book features a selection of photographs taken by them both during their visits to Songkhla. The project also includes a series of on-the-ground events and learning activities, such as community tours, folk art performances, workshops and activities that invite people to learn about local ways of life and engage closely with the community.
The exhibition O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2 will be held at Noparumpa Waterside 35, a former warehouse pier located beside Songkhla Lake in the heart of old town Songkhla. The site has been transformed into a site-specific exhibition complete with a stunning lakefront view. Next door at SAN/Titan Project Space, the exhibition continues with O.K. Nakhon: the large hand-painted billboard displayed on the façade of Songkhla’s old Saha cinema during the 2016 exhibition. Featuring members of the community, it is on permanent display alongside the 2016 project’s archives and a music video centred on Songkhla’s old town.
Produced by studiOK, the artist’s studio in Chiang Mai, the exhibition includes a collaboration with Good Goods, a Thai lifestyle brand operating under Central Group's Central Tham social enterprise project which has produced commemorative merchandise and will host a pop-up store.
O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2 is one of the main exhibitions in Singorama Art Fest, a contemporary art festival being held in Songkhla's old town. Spanning artist activities and forms of community engagement, including performances, talks and a market featuring local designers and shops, the festival is funded through a Festival Creator 2026 grant from the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization). Other supporters include the Office of Contemporary Art, Ministry of Culture; Millcon Steel Public Company Limited; and Central Tham by Central Group.
Held at different venues across Songkhla’s old town, Singorama Art Fest will be held between 24-26 July 2026, while O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2 will run until 1 November 2026. The festival’s opening event will take place between 4-7pm on Friday 24th July at Noprampha 35 Pier, and include a screening of Rawanchaikul’s O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2 film and a performance of Nora, an acrobatic form of dance theatre and improvisational singing from southern Thailand that has been recognised as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.
📍Singorama Art Fest
24-26 July 2026
📍O.K. Nakhon - Singora Diary 2
Exhibition period: July 24, 2026 – November 1, 2026
Friday - Sunday, 11:00AM – 7:00PM
Venue: Noparumpa Waterside 35 https://maps.app.goo.gl/iy27HgjfiVqHH9Hm6
35 Nakhon Nok Road, Bo Yang District, Songkhla
