Amplifying Isan’s Artistic Voice at Kupper Art Fes 2025

One of the most dynamic and enduring artistic collectives in Thailand, Kultx (ฆัลx) from Khon Kaen has been consistently pushing boundaries for nearly a decade—and shows no signs of slowing down. At the helm is Monporn Robroo, better known as Tum, a sharp-eyed artist-turned-curator whose recent work has focused more on shaping festivals than creating solo pieces.

A native of Khon Kaen, Tum’s artistic practice has long centered on excavating lost histories—tracing the roots of his hometown, its people, and the social fabric that shaped him. As fragments of these buried truths slowly emerge through research and are reimagined into collaborative artworks—dispersed among both local and invited artists—Tum’s work transcends the boundaries of his immediate surroundings. After all, as we know, nothing exists in isolation. Khon Kaen is part of a region, which in turn is part of a nation, and in this age of globalization, part of the world.

To see a truth once obscured—whether buried, forgotten, or overwritten—resurface into form is to see the world itself come into sharper focus.

Art may only be a small part of this awakening, but it is a part rich in aesthetics. Good art does not impose or dictate; rather, its beauty gently stirs curiosity, reflection, and slow, meaningful discovery.

Through this quiet persistence, Kultx—a small, independent collective working far from the cultural center—has steadily forged its own identity. It has crafted new vocabularies of artistic expression and gradually enriched the cultural landscape of Isan, making its presence increasingly undeniable.

Introduce yourself to Khaoyai Connect readers.

Hello, I’m Monporn Robroo. I currently work in contemporary art across multiple roles—as an artist, curator, and initiator of art-based programs across the Isan region. My work is rooted in fostering dialogue between art, place, and people—whether through long-term collaborations with Kultx (ฆัลx) or through regional platforms like the S.O.E Art Festival, which aims to create space for contemporary art that connects global conversations with local culture, history, and social contexts. These projects are built not just to exhibit, but to connect people—to their land, their roots, and to the world beyond.

Tell us about the origins of Kupper Art Fes.

Kupper Art Fes was born from a deep belief in the creative power of the people of Isan—especially local artists and cultural practitioners whose ideas are sharp, stories profound, and cultural roots every bit as rich as anywhere in the world. Yet opportunities remain centralized in Bangkok, forcing many artists to leave their hometowns in search of space where their voices might be heard.

So we asked: what if we brought the stage back here?

What if we proposed a new system of negotiation—one grounded in the artists’ own soil?

What if we helped dreams take shape right here in Isan, awakening the full potential of local artists and giving them the space to shine on their own terms?

Kupper Art Fes is more than just an exhibition space. It’s a platform where local artists meet collectors and art enthusiasts, while also inviting creatives from other regions and abroad to exchange ideas, collaborate, and build cross-border networks of artistic solidarity.

This is not merely the first art festival or art fair in the Northeast that seeks to stimulate the creative economy through encounters between artists and diverse audiences. More importantly, it is a rare opportunity to spotlight those who have long been unseen—to open new experiences, reveal hidden potential, and inspire people in the region to recognize their own possibilities more clearly.

Is this part of the same series of events previously hosted by Kultx?

It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to say that KPAF is a direct continuation of Kultx’s earlier projects. But it would also be impossible to deny that both stem from the same energy, the same spirit, and the same collective heart.

We want to see the art scene in Isan move forward. We want to see local artists take their place with confidence and pride—no longer needing to shrink away or feel ashamed to say, “I’m an artist from Isan.”

We’re tired of hearing that art here has no future, no profits, no way forward.

What we want is not more complaints—but real, deliberate action to build a new path altogether.

What sets KPAF apart from Kultx’s earlier work lies in its approach.

While Kultx has often taken a more confrontational stance—posing sharp questions, breaking through conventional artistic boundaries, and openly challenging cultural authority—KPAF chooses a subtler route. Rather than going head-to-head, we move with the current. Not to accept the system as it is, but to quietly rewire it from within.

We navigate through its architecture, identify openings, and build bridges between people at the structural level. Our goal isn’t just to play the existing game better—it’s to gradually shift the rules altogether.

After all, sometimes what matters most isn’t how bold the method looks—but whether it gets the job done.

Why “Kupper Art Fes 2025: Sky Limitless – Isan Has No Ceiling, the Horizon Knows No Borders”?

Last year, KPAF 2024 launched under the theme “Pulling Back the Curtain to a Clear Blue Sky”. That theme was our way of unveiling the truth: Isan is not the barren, desolate land it has often been made out to be. We tore down those outdated stereotypes and began reimagining the region on our own terms.

As we regrouped this year to plan the next chapter, we asked ourselves deeper questions:

What is Isan, really?

Who are its people?

Are we Lao? Are we Thai? What do our culture, history, and identity look like today?

In reflecting on these questions, we found clarity: Isan has already moved far ahead. We are adaptive, resilient, and distinct. We are not limited by others’ definitions. We can be anything we choose to be.

That realization gave rise to this year’s theme: Sky Limitless—a declaration of the boundless possibilities ahead.

“Isan has no ceiling. The horizon knows no borders. We ride the wind beneath new shade, drifting toward new air.”

It’s a poetic vision of freedom, mobility, and reinvention. A region once framed as marginal now reclaims itself as a space of imaginative potential—no longer waiting for permission to dream.

Can you elaborate on the phrase: “Isan has no ceiling, the horizon knows no borders, we ride the wind beneath new shade”?

This line captures the spirit of Kupper Art Fes 2025.

"Isan has no ceiling" means there are no limits here—no fixed boundaries on what is possible.

"The horizon knows no borders" suggests an open sky, an unbounded future, in a borderless world where new possibilities are not just imagined, but within reach.

We want to offer Isan its sky back—not one drawn by others, but one it can define for itself. A sky without barriers, where freedom and creative ambition can stretch as far as they dare.

"We ride the wind beneath new shade" is a metaphor for agency and movement. It affirms the right to travel new currents, to choose our own pace, our own path, and seek out fresh opportunities on our own terms.

This is about reclaiming Isan not as a periphery of hardship or cheap labor, not as a backdrop for academic fieldwork or policy experiments, but as a living space of imagination. A region of visionaries, not victims.

What makes Kupper stand out among other art fairs?

We don’t necessarily see Kupper as “better” than other art fairs—but what we do believe is that our strength lies in being a space intentionally designed for artists and collectors in Isan. While we continue to welcome artists from other regions and countries and maintain active collaborations, the heart of Kupper lies in creating new opportunities specifically for Isan-based artists.

That includes pathways for investment, meaningful connections with collectors, and access to the broader art world.

We want this region to have its own chances—not always needing to rely on traditional power centers like Bangkok.

Kupper aspires to be an open space where both emerging and seasoned collectors can engage with local artists deeply and sustainably—building not just markets, but relationships.

Why host the event in a hotel?

Because we want art to exist in spaces that don’t always look like art spaces.

A hotel isn’t just a place to sleep—it’s a place of transition. People come and go. They meet, converse, and connect. That aligns perfectly with what Kupper is trying to build.

Pullman itself is a long-standing landmark in Khon Kaen, now undergoing a transformation. In many ways, it mirrors what Kupper is doing: shifting the narrative of art in Isan—from something static and marginal, to something vibrant, multidimensional, and full of future potential.

By hosting the festival in a hotel, we blur the lines between commercial and cultural space. Artists, collectors, and visitors can experience art together in a more natural, relaxed setting—far from the sterile walls of the typical white cube.

We want people to feel at ease. To feel welcome.

To browse in casual clothes, strike up conversations, sip coffee beside a painting.

We want art to feel close, accessible, and woven into everyday life—not something that sits apart from it.

Why host an art fair in Khon Kaen?

Because Khon Kaen is a city with all the right conditions—strong infrastructure, robust transportation networks, and a dynamic economy. It sits at the heart of Isan, naturally connecting people from across the region with ease.

More importantly, Khon Kaen has an emerging and steadily growing art scene—nurtured by local artists, independent spaces, and cultural producers who have worked tirelessly to push the creative landscape forward. We’ve been part of that journey from the start.

This year, we’re aligning Kupper Art Fes with the Isan Creative Festival—a time when the city comes alive with creative events, talks, and cross-sector collaborations. It’s when Khon Kaen draws in tourists, designers, collectors, and culture seekers who are hungry for new energy and ideas from the region.

Kupper Art Fes isn’t just an art event.

It’s a declaration: Khon Kaen is ready—not just as a geographic location, but as a center of possibility.

As Isan’s capital of imagination.

How do you see the role of art in the Isan region?

To me, Isan art is not simply a representation of beautiful local culture.

It’s an expression of resistance.

It’s the dignified stand of a people who have carried the weight of long-standing social, political, and cultural marginalization—often seen only through the gaze of the center.

More and more, we’re seeing artists who have stopped waiting for permission from traditional art systems.

They are stepping out from the shadows of silence and beginning to create their own language—

a language born from real experiences, real pain, and unfiltered imagination.

Today, Isan art is no longer about “staying in its place.”

It’s about redrawing the map—on a terrain where voices were once erased.

And those voices?

They are now rising—clearly, powerfully, and with growing momentum.

There’s no sign they’ll fall silent again.

Where do you see Isan artists heading on the global stage?

Isan artists today are not growing by mimicking or pandering to existing global art systems.

They’re emerging from a place of clarity—a clear stance rooted in their own culture, geography, and shared experiences that have rarely been given a full voice on the world stage.

The global contemporary art world is beginning to listen to voices that were once silenced.

It’s beginning to question the old center–periphery hierarchies.

And it’s starting to shift, slowly, toward inclusion and disruption.

That creates opportunity for Isan artists—not as exotic representatives of a remote region,

but as equal participants in the production of contemporary knowledge.

Artists who can speak for themselves, think for themselves, and challenge the world from a position of grounded confidence.

The trajectory of Isan art isn’t simply about going far or being accepted.

It’s about compelling the world to recognize the complexity that already exists here.

And the more artists dare to stand firmly in their own truths, the more undeniable their global ripple effect will become.

Can you invite our readers to join Kupper Art Fes 2025?

We warmly welcome everyone to come and open the sky with us at Kupper Art Fes 2025, held at Pullman Hotel in the heart of Khon Kaen from June 28 to 30, 2025.

You’ll find a wide range of contemporary art—from Isan, from across Thailand, and from international artists—alongside inspiring talks and hands-on workshops, all within an atmosphere unlike any other art fair. It’s a space to experience new ideas, meet new people, and explore new perspectives.

Come ride the wind beneath new shade with us, and help reimagine the future of art in Isan—together.

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