Exhibition: Glass Plate Negatives: Circles of Centres

Part of the project “Glass Plate Archives: A Thousand Images of Rattanakosin History – Edition III”

Inspired by Camera Lucida, a philosophical work by French thinker Roland Barthes, this exhibition invites viewers to reflect on a profound question: “How might we see photographs anew?”

Through the lenses of memory, loss, and time. The exhibition offers insight into the many roles of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), portraying him as a visionary leader who guided Siam through a transformative era into a modern nation-state, under the looming presence of Western imperialism.

The glass plate negatives on display document the King’s travels and royal duties—from Bangkok to provinces such as Prachuap Khiri Khan and Songkhla, and further to the southern sultanates including Terengganu, as well as other parts of mainland Southeast Asia—capturing a pivotal moment in the region’s intertwined histories through the eye of the camera.

🗓 22 May - 27 July 2025

📍 Main Exhibition Gallery, 9th Floor