In a city of vertigo-inducing sky bars, tattoo artist monks, and citizens nonchalantly carrying haunted dolls, the disparity between the rich and poor is one of the most striking things about Bangkok.
It struck American photographer Adam Birkan when he arrived in the city nearly two years ago. For the last 10 months, he’s been working on a series of subtle, mature and sometimes playful photos that address that dichotomy.
He opened his first solo show, “All That Glitters,” on Saturday at Jam Cafe to a very full house. The ongoing project includes shots from Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Photographer Adam Birkan. Photo: Laurel Tuohy
“I think this show got a lot of press because the subject matter is very relevant to what’s happening around us,” Jam owner Dhyan Ho said. “I think a lot of people have noticed what Adam has noticed. He’s captured it really well.”
Adam has been named one of Magnum’s 30 Under 30 photographers, was the winner of Photo District News’ Emerging Photographer award and a finalist in the 2014 National Geographic competition.
Vendor in Bangkok. Photo: Adam Birkan
The artist talked to Coconuts about the photographs as well as the rich, the poor and the ugly sides of both ends of the spectrum in Bangkok:
Coconuts: Tell us about how you took these shots.
A; When I took many of these shots, I felt like I was infiltrating the castle. Like the shot of the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong. I’m clearly not supposed to be taking pictures of patrons in one of the nicest places in Hong Kong but there I was.
Did you ever get screamed at or kicked out of a place for taking these shots?
No, but I’m pretty sneaky. It’s a blessing and a curse being white in Asia. Sometimes people just choose not to interact with you. That might be because they aren’t sure if you belong there or because they can’t speak your language.
Where are some of the Bangkok locations in these photos?
One is in Siam Paragon and another is Siam Square One, across the street. I enjoy finding high angles and waiting to see what happens below. The little girl crying was a snapshot though. I was just riding an escalator in Paragon and saw her collapse and start having a tantrum.
Girl having a tantrum in Siam Paragon. Photo: Adam Birkan
What do you think of wealth and poverty in Bangkok?
It’s striking. It exists in other countries, obviously, but here there is no effort to shield it. You see Lamborghinis driving through slums and shiny megamalls next to street vendors.
A car showroom in Siam Paragon. Photo: Adam Birkan
Do you think that money buys happiness?
No. I’ve met lots of poor, happy people. Did you see my photo of the guy fishing with the superyacht in the background? He was a very happy fellow and he’s not on the superyacht. I think money can buy happiness if you know what to do with it. But I think lots of people don’t know what to do with it.
A man fishing in Hong Kong with a superyacht in the background. Photo: Adam Birkan
Showgoer Ian Helwig told Coconuts he disagreed about money buying happiness in Bangkok.
“I see more happy poor people than rich people in Bangkok. But that’s not true everywhere. It’s not so true in other places I’ve lived like New York or Japan. I think poor people there are suffering more.”
Two women looking intently at a photo of a shabby yet lush rooftop garden recognized it as one they see every day from Asoke BTS station. They said they found the difference between the rich and poor in the city shocking.
A bus in Bangkok. Photo: Adam Birkan
A German woman was more pragmatic and compared life in Bangkok to what she had seen living in Africa.
“For me, there is not much poverty here. People don’t starve. In Africa, I knew people that only ate once a day or once every two days, I don’t see that here.” She compared life in Bangkok to that in Dakar, Senegal, where 20 families can share one outdoor toilet.
“For me, this is like coming to Europe. It’s all relative.”
Bangkok skyline. Photo: Adam Birkan
Abigail Smith agreed about people not starving in Bangkok. She works in philanthropy and one thing she said she learned while trying to start a food charity was that most people are not starving.
She told Coconuts that when she looked into donating food in Bangkok, the response was: “No thanks but we could really use help with things like education and visas.”
Man on motorbike. Photo: Adam Birkan
“Bangkok is the city of grit and glamour, right?” Abigail said. “I’ve lived in lots of cities and this is one of the most economically stratified that I’ve been in.
“I live in a community where we are watching skyscrapers go up and next door is the Cambodian pop-up construction workers camp. So, the schism is great but the people are good to their neighbors. They want to see the city blossom.”
See more of Adam’s work at his website. Prints of his pieces from the show are available for THB2,500 baht each.
All That Glitters hangs until March 26. Jam Cafe is open daily from 6pm to midnight.
FIND IT:
Continues to March 26
BTS Surasak, Exit 2
Reader Interactions