His art projects and feature films have won him widespread recognition and numerous festival prizes, including two prizes from the Cannes Film Festival. In 2005 he was presented with one of Thailand’s most prestigious awards, Silpatorn, by the Thai Ministry of Culture. In 2008, the French Minister of Culture bestowed on him the medal of Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des letter (Knight of the Order of Arts and Literature). In 2011, he was given another honor for the same field with an Officer Medal, and later in 2017, Commandeurs medal.
His film, Syndromes and a Century, completed in late 2006, was the first Thai film to be selected for competition at the Venice Film Festival. Apichatpong is also one of 20 international artists and filmmakers commissioned to create a short film for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2009, the Austrian Film Museum published a major English language monograph on his work.
His 2009 project, Primitive, consists of a large-scale video installation, an artist’s book, and a feature film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. The film has won a Palme d’Or prize at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010, making it the first Southeast Asian film (and the 7th from Asia) to win the most prestigious award in the film world. In 2012, he is invited to participate in Documenta (13), one of the most well-known art exhibitions in Kassel, Germany. Apichatpong also received the Sharjah Biennial Prize at the 2013 Sharjah Biennial 11, UAE. He's also a recipient of the Fukuoka Prize, Japan, 2013. In late 2014, he received the Yanghyun Art Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes in Korea. In 2016, a retrospective of his films was presented at Tate Britain, UK. Recently, he was the Principal Laureate of the 2016 Prince Claus Awards, the Netherlands. His current project includes Fever Room, a projection performance about displaced consciousness.
Apichatpong currently works and lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Selected Awards and Honours
Grand Prize, Bildrausch Film Festival, Basel, Switzerland 2016 (Cemetery of Splendour)
Asia Pacific Screen Award, Australia 2016 (Cemetery of Splendour)
Gijon Film Festival Award, Spain 2015
The Yanghyun Art Prize, Korea, 2014
Fukuoka Prize (Art and Culture), Fukuoka, Japan, 2013
The Sharjah Biennial Prize, Sharjah Biennial 11th, UAE, 2013
Officiers de l'ordre des arts et des lettres, France, 2011
Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival, France, 2010 (Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives)
Winner of Asia Art Award Forum, Seoul, Korea, 2010
One of the shortlisted for Hugo Boss Award, Guggenheim Foundation and Museum, New York, USA, 2010
Syndromes and a Century was voted the best film of the decade from a poll conducted with international film scholars by Cinematheque Ontario, Canada, 2009
Chevalier de l'ordre des arts et des lettres, France, 2008
The Fine Prize, for outstanding emerging artist The 55th Carnegie International, USA, 2008 (Unknown Forces installation)
Best Film Award, 9th Deauville Asian Film Festival, France, 2007 (Syndromes and a Century)
Silpatorn Award, Thailand’s Ministry of Culture, Office of Contemporary Arts, 2005
Special Jury Prize, Singapore International Film Festival, Singapore, 2005. (Tropical Malady)
Best Film and Special Jury Prize, The 20th International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Turin, 2005 (Tropical Malady)
Prix du Jury, Cannes Film Festival, France, 2004 (Tropical Malady)
Grand Prize, Tokyo Filmex, Tokyo, 2004 (Tropical Malady)
L’Age d’or Prize, Cine-decouvertes, Belgium 2004 (Tropical Malady)
The International Critics’ Award (FIPRESCI Prize), Buenos Aires Film Festival, Buenos Aires, 2003 (Blissfully Yours)
Silver Screen Award: Young Cinema Award, Singapore International Film Festival, Singapore, 2003 (Blissfully Yours)
Prix Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, France, 2002 (Blissfully Yours)
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND SCREENINGS
2006
Solar galeria de arte cinematica, Vila do Conde, Portugal, Waterfall, July 8-Sept. 10.
2007
REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater), Los Angeles, Unknown Forces:
Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Apr.19-June 17.
Beursschouwburg, Brussels, Commemoration, Nov.14-Dec. 21.
2008
SCAI the Bathhouse, Tokyo, Replicas, Jan. 9-26.
2009
Haus der Kunst, Munich, Primitive, Feb.20-June 1. Traveled to FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology), Liverpool, Sept. 24-Nov. 29.
Arsenal, Institut fur Film und Videokunst, Berlin,Tropical Mysteries, Luminous People, Die Filme Von Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Apr. 1-15.
Filmmuseum, MunchnerStadtmuseum, Munich, Retrospektive Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Apr. 3-15.
The Box, Wexner Center for the Arts,Columbus, Ohio, Phantoms of Nabua. June 1-30.
Musee d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Apichatpong Weerasethakul- PRIMITIVE, Oct.1,2009-Jan. 3, 2010.
2010
SCAI the Bathhouse, Tokyo, Native Land, Mar. 12-Apr. 17.
51st Thessaloniki Film Festival, Greece, Retrospective: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Dec. 3-12.
2011
Overgaden Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, PRIMITIVE, Apr. 8-May 1., with a retrospective at CPH:PIX Copenhagen Film Festival, Apr.14-May 1.
University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC), Mexico City, PRIMITIVE, Feb. 26-Jun. 5., with a retrospective at FICUNAM Festival Internaticional de Cine, Feb. 18-Mar. 30.
The New Museum, New York, Apichatpong Weerasethakul: PRIMITIVE, May 19-
July 3.
The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, For Tomorrow For Tonight, July 27 - October 31.
2012
UCCA, Beijing, For Tomorrow For Tonight, Nov 26, 2011 - Feb 10, 2012.
Jim Thompson Art Center, Bangkok, PRIMITIVE, Dec. 1, 2011-Feb. 29, 2012.
2013
The Stenersen Museum, Oslo, Photophobia, Oct. 10 - Dec. 15, 2013.
2014
Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London, Double Visions, Apr. 11 - May 17, 2014.
Kurimanzutto Gallery, Mexico City, Fireworks, May 17 – Jun. 14, 2014.
Kyoto City University of Arts Art Gallery, Kyoto, Photophobia, Jun 14 – Jul. 27, 2014.
SCAI the Bathhouse, Tokyo, Fireworks (Archives), Sept 11 – Oct 4, 2014
2015
Asian Arts Theatre, Gwangju, Korea, Fever Room, a performance by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, September 4 – 6, 2015
AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario), Toronto, Canada, Fireworks (Archives), Sept 10 – 27, 2015
The 53rd Gijón International Film Festival, Spain, Retrospective: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Nov. 20 – 28, 2015
2016
Tate Modern, London, UK, Tate Film Pioneers: Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Mirages (Retrospective of Films and Videos), Apr 8 – 10, 2016
Cinema Galeries, Brussels, Belgium, Memorandum: Apichatpong’s Retrospective of Films and Installations, Apr 12 – May 29, 2016
Galerie Torri, Paris, France, Fire Garden, Apr 29 – May 5, 2016
Mai Iam Contemporary Art Museum, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Serenity of Madness: Apichatpong’s Selective Survey, July 3 – Sept 30, 2016
Para Site, Hong Kong, Serenity of Madness: Apichatpong’s Selective Survey, Sep 18 – Nov 27, 2016
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, Ghost in the Darkness, Dec 13, 2016 – Jan 29, 2017
2017
Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), Manila, Serenity of Madness: Apichatpong’s Selective Survey, Feb 17, 2017 – May 11, 2017
ShanghArt Gallery, Shanghai, Monuments, May 28, 2017 – July 27, 2017
SCAI the Bathhouse, Tokyo, Memoria, July 7 – Aug 4, 2017
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND SCREENINGS
1998
Project 304, Bangkok, World Artists for Tibet Exhibition, July 5-Aug. 30.
2000
Gallery of Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, and Art and Design, Faculty of Decorative Arts, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Euro-Visions, Oct.11-31.
2001
Tirana Biennale 1, Albania, Sept. 15-Oct. 15. Exh. cat.
7th International Istanbul Biennial, Sept. 22-Nov.17. Exh. cat.
Musee d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, Traversees, Oct. 25, 2001- Jan. 6, 2002 (Haunted House [2001] presented by Christelle Lheureux). Exh. cat.
2002
The Art Center, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Alien {gener} ation, May 3-30.
Japan Foundation Forum and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, Under Construction: New Dimensions of Asian Art, Dec. 7, 2002-Mar. 2, 2003. Exh. cat.
2004
Busan Biennale 2004, South Korea, Aug.21-Oct. 31. Exh. cat.
Contemporary Art Centre Vilnius, Lithuania, Slow Rushes: Takes on the documentary sensibility in moving images from around Asia and the Pacific, Sept. 10-Oct. 31. Traveled to Artspace, Auckland, New Zealand, Slow Rushes for Auckland, June 15-July 9, 2005. Exh. cat.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei Biennial 2004, Taiwan, Oct. 23, 2004-Jan. 23, 2005. Exh. cat.
2005
The Pantagruel Syndrome:T1 Torino Triennial Threemuseums, Turin, Nov.11, 2005-Mar. 19, 2006. Exh. cat.
Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Politics of Fun, Sept. 30-Nov. 20. Contemporary Art Centre Vilnius, Lithuania, BMW. The IX Baltic Triennial of International Art, Sept. 23-Nov. 20. Exh. cat.
Kunstverein Munchen, Munich, Anna Sanders Films, July 8-10. Traveled to KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, July 14-15.
KunstenFESTIVALdesArts, Brussels, Worldly Desires, Apr. 30-May 9.
Institut de cultura de Barcelona, La Capella, Barcelona, Bangkok-Bangkok, Feb.8-Apr.10. Exh. cat.
2006
Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia,The 5th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Dec. 2, 2006-May 27, 2007. Exh. cat.
Liverpool Biennial 2006, Sept. 16-Nov. 26. Exh. cat.
Sculpture Center, Long Island City, Grey Flags, May 7-July 30. Traveled to CAPC Musee d’art contemporain, Bordeaux, Dec. 20, 2006-Mar. 18, 2007. Exh. cat.
Magasin, Centre national d’art contemporain, Grenoble, France, Cinema(s). Jan. 22 May 7.
2007
National Palace Museum, Taipei,Taiwan, Discovering the Other, July 7-Aug.19.
KunstFilmBiennale 2007, Cologne and Bonn, Germany, Oct. 18-24. Exh. cat.
2008
Life on Mars: 55th Carnegie International, Pittsburgh, May 3, 2008-Jan.11, 2009. Exh. cat.
VideoZone 4: The 4th International Video Art Biennial in Israel, Tel Aviv, Nov. 25-Dec. 1. Exh. cat.
International Triennale of Contemporary Art: Re-Reading the Future, Prague, June 3-Sept. 14. Exh. cat.
Singapore Biennale 2008: Wonder, Sept.11-Nov.16. Exh. cat.The Third Guangzhou Triennial - Fareweell to Post- Colonialism, China, Sept. 6-Nov. 16. Exh. cat.
2009
Le Spot, Le Havre, France, UN AUTRECINEMA: Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster /Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jan. 10-24.
Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF), Sydney,The view from elsewhere, Mar. 19-June 13. Traveled to Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art,Brisbane, Australia, July 25-Nov. 15. Exh. cat.
2010
SeMA Gyeonghuigung Annex, Trust: Media City Seoul, Seoul, Sept. 7-Nov. 17.
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Transformation, Tokyo, Oct. 29-Jan. 30, 2011
2012
Leo Xu Projects, Boy: A Contemporary Portrait, Shanghai, Feb. 19 - Apr. 8, 2012
Documenta 13, Kassel, Jun. 9 - Sep. 16, 2012
2013
The 11th Sharjah Biennial 11, Re:emerge, Towards a New Cultural Cartography, Sharjah, UAE, Mar. 13 - May 13, 2013
2014
DM Gallery, School of Art, Design and Media at NTU Singapore, FAITH AND FAIRY TALES: New Media Art for Thailand, 14 March 14 – April 17, 2014
Arko Art Center, A Journal of the Plague Year, Traveling exhibition from Para-site HK, Seoul, Aug 30 – Nov 16, 2014
2015
Midtown POP, Mobile M+: Moving Images, Hong Kong, Mar 13 – Apr 26, 2015
Kadist Art Foundation, A Journal of the Plague Year, Traveling exhibition from Para-site HK, San Francisco, USA, Apr 1 – May 9, 2015
Watari-Um Museum, TODAY IS THE DAY - 70th Years Memorial of Atomic Bombs in Hiroshima, Tokyo, Japan, Jul 19 – Aug 31, 2015
2016
20th Biennale of Sydney, The Future is Already Here - It’s Just Not Evenly Distributed, Sydney, Australia, Mar. 18 – Jun. 5, 2016
Aomori Art Museum, Earth 2016: Roots and Routes, Aomori, Japan, Jul 23 – Sept 25, 2016
Saitama Triennale 2016, Envisioning the Future!, Saitama, Japan, Sep 24 – Dec 11, 2016
Yokohama Museum of Art, Body/ Play/ Politics, Yokohama, Japan, Oct 1 – Dec 14, 2016