Founded on an ethos of friendship, and emerging from a regional constellation of artists' initiatives and independent spaces, the series of art festivals known as Chiang Mai Social Installation (1992-98) staged contemporary Thai art within everyday city life. From temples and cemeteries to libraries, the town square and even a dental clinic, these artist-led interventions present a self-funded anarchic alternative to Southeast Asia's subsequently expanding biennial culture, while also marking the emergence of a wider contemporary moment.

The first comprehensive publication on these projects, this book presents extensive photographic documentation alongside a multivocal account by its participants.