The evaluation of contemporary art installation for Bangkok flower market revitalization: case study “form of feeling @ flower market”

Abstract

In 2016, the government launched a city beautification programme in Bangkok flower market or “Pak Khlong Talat” area, which prohibited all street vendors from selling their products on the sidewalks. Thus, its sense of place has dramatically changed. Faculty of Architecture Silpakorn University, together with designers from HUI Team Design, and Saturate Designs, organized a floral art exhibition “form of feeling @ flower market” at the market. The purpose is to use design as a tool to create new memories and catalyse contemporary sense of place in the Bangkok flower market neighbourhood. This article evaluates the exhibition from the perspectives of visitors and local traders in the market. The evaluation aims to know the satisfaction in organizing the activities including an estimate of the revenue generated from the exhibition and gain opinions to improve future activities. Out of a total of 4,305 visitors to the exhibition, the evaluation is based on the data from 2,525 questionnaires. It was found that most of the visitors (71.57%) were young people aged 18-34. In addition, 21.82% of the respondents provide information that they have never been to Bangkok flower market before. It was found that the average amount of money used to buy flowers for the event was 68.59 Thai Baht per person. If estimating by comparing the proportion of the questionnaire with the number of visitors, it can be said that the exhibition brought about 295,280 Thai Baht in revenue to Bangkok flower market. In addition, the article also discussed recommendations to improve future activities. It was found that the distribution of income generated from the exhibition was not evenly distributed throughout the neighbourhood, because there was only one spot of activity. Therefore, in the future, there should be more number of event points, which spreading more evenly.