The Air We Share
In 2023, Chiang Mai, Thailand, was ranked as having the highest PM 2.5 air pollution in the world. In light of this, a group of artists from Doi Saket, Chiang Mai decided to create artworks that reflected their experiences and frustrations with the current issues surrounding air pollution
Among the world's most polluted cities in 2023, Chiang Mai, Thailand, ranked first for PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter). These microscopic particles, only 0.3 micrometers in diameter, linger in the air for extended periods, penetrating deep into our lungs and even entering our bloodstream. Their presence is linked to a range of severe health issues, from respiratory diseases to cardiovascular conditions.
When I first learned about PM 2.5's devastating effects, I felt compelled to act but didn’t know where to start. My search for answers led me to an unexpected place: the vibrant art scene of Chiang Mai. Here, I discovered Art for Air, a movement where artists, activists, and academics channel their frustration with pollution into powerful works of art. Their dedication was inspiring, but a question lingered in my mind: Can creativity spark real change in the fight against climate change? As an artist and storyteller myself, I decided to join them in seeking answers.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve immersed myself in their creative processes and listened to their deeply personal stories about living with air pollution. One of the most striking conversations I had was with Sirawit Muenpiw, a young artist who grew up in a neighborhood overwhelmed by garbage. His poignant artwork features a bird’s nest constructed from trash, a haunting metaphor for his childhood.
“I grew up suffocating in a nest buried beneath garbage,” he explained. “No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dig my way out.”
Another artist I spent time with was Jacob Black, a photographer from the UK. Coming from a country where clean air is taken for granted, Jacob arrived in Chiang Mai to document what it’s like to live in a city choked by pollution. His photographs capture both the eerie beauty and the suffocating reality of life under a toxic sky, offering a visceral reminder of what’s at stake.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve immersed myself in their creative processes and listened to their deeply personal stories about living with air pollution. One of the most striking conversations I had was with Sirawit Muenpiw, a young artist who grew up in a neighborhood overwhelmed by garbage. His poignant artwork features a bird’s nest constructed from trash, a haunting metaphor for his own childhood.
“I grew up suffocating in a nest buried beneath garbage,” he explained. “No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t dig my way out.”
Another artist I spent time with was Jacob Black, a photographer from the UK. Coming from a country where clean air is taken for granted, Jacob arrived in Chiang Mai to document what it’s like to live in a city choked by pollution. His photographs capture both the eerie beauty and the suffocating reality of life under a toxic sky, offering a visceral reminder of what’s at stake.
Art for Air was born out of frustration. Chiang Mai, once famous for its lush mountains and fresh air, now suffers from some of the worst pollution in the world. Every year, during the burning season, the sky turns a sickly shade of gray. The air becomes thick with toxins. Schools close. Hospitals fill up. People wear masks indoors, and air purifiers become a necessity rather than a luxury.
The artists behind Art for Air don’t just create for the sake of beauty. Their work is an act of resistance—a way to make the invisible visible, to turn air pollution into something tangible, something people can’t ignore. Their exhibitions feature everything from smog-filled glass bottles to immersive soundscapes that replicate the experience of struggling to breathe.
But as I spent more time speaking with locals, I began to wonder—who has the time to appreciate art when they’re struggling just to survive?
For many Thai people, PM 2.5 is not an abstract issue that needs artistic interpretation—it’s an unavoidable, daily battle. They don’t need an exhibition to tell them the air is poisoned. They wake up coughing, pay rising electricity bills to keep air purifiers running and watch their children miss school because the air outside is too dangerous to breathe.
Awareness is no longer the issue; survival is.
If the purpose of art is to reveal the truth, then Art for Air has already done its job. The question now is: What comes next? Can art move beyond awareness and ignite real change?
Some artists have already begun collaborating with scientists, activists, and policymakers to demand action. Others use their work to pressure the government for stricter anti-burning laws and cross-border cooperation. But change is slow, and the pollution crisis worsens every year.
So, can artists combat climate change? Not directly. They don’t have the tools to reduce emissions or enforce policies. But they have something equally vital: the ability to make people feel. In a world where statistics and news reports often go ignored, art has the power to stir emotions that drive action.
The real challenge now is turning that emotion into solutions. If there is one.
Dr. Panich Intra, the head of the research unit, Research Unit of Applied Electric Field in Engineering (RUEE) Laboratory, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai
To gain a better understanding of the issue, I visited the Research Unit of Applied Electric Field in Engineering (RUEE) Laboratory in Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, where I learned about how PM 2.5 is measured and monitored. Dr. Panich Intra, the head of the research unit, showed me the lab’s specialized equipment used to monitor pollution levels. The PM 2.5 concentration in Chiang Mai this month is between 197-200 µg/m³, well above the recommended safety threshold of 37.5 µg/m³, which indicates a risk of adverse health effects.
Dr. Panich shared some tips for reducing PM 2.5 in households, such as using an air purifier with a HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter, keeping windows and doors closed on high pollution days, and sealing any gaps in the home. It’s also important to vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter and wipe surfaces with a damp cloth to minimize dust. Dr. Panich also recommended limiting indoor pollution by avoiding smoking or burning candles, and using indoor plants or activated charcoal to absorb toxins. Finally, he stressed the importance of monitoring air quality levels and avoiding outdoor activities when pollution is high.
“Or just wear a mask at all times,” said Dr.Panit
Dr. Panich also demonstrated how PM 2.5 can be absorbed by the lungs through a modified machine, testing the effectiveness of face mask filters. According to his research, while regular surgical masks can filter 95–98% of PM 2.5 particles, they have a significant flaw—about 40% of air leaks due to their loose fit. This reduces their overall protection to 58%.
“If PM 2.5 levels are 150 µg/m³, wearing a surgical mask would still allow 63 µg/m³ of pollution to be inhaled, far above the safe limit,” Dr. Panich explained.
The issue is leakage. Surgical masks aren’t designed to create a tight seal like N95, KN95, or KF94 masks. While these respirators offer superior protection, surgical masks still provide defense.
The machine simulating human’s lung, RUEE LAB, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai
Wearing a mask can be a solution to reduce health risks during the burning season, but it also creates new long-term issues to come. The materials used to make these masks are not biodegradable. For instance, N95 are primarily made from synthetic materials like polypropylene, which do not break down easily in the environment. This means they can persist in landfills for a long time, contributing to environmental waste. Alongside the HEPA filter, as is designed to trap particles over time, simply throwing it away doesn’t clean out the pollutants it has collected.
Thailand has long struggled with waste management, particularly plastic waste, and inefficient recycling systems. In areas where waste management infrastructure is lacking, there is simply not enough space to store all the waste. What’s the quickest solution? Burning. This adds to a perpetual cycle of pollution.
“This is the new normal,” Dr. Panich noted. “We have to wear masks during the burning season, just like we would wear a jacket in winter.”
He added, “The world has changed, and so has our agriculture." We’re now in the era of industrialized farming, and with it comes even more burning. It will be difficult to stop the root of the problem. The only thing we can do is adapt and normalise it.”
Normalising problems is not new for Thai people. Those who are fortunate enough can easily adapt to it. But many earn below the national minimum wage, some cannot afford to modify their house to filter out the PM2.5, and some can’t even afford to buy the N95 Mask.
"PM 2.5 is up in the sky, and I'm down here trying to make a living," one of the fish farmers in Doi Saket village told me. "I wake up at 5 a.m. every day to go fishing at the dam, and I come outside every day to sell fish. I don’t have time or the money to pay for an air purifier”
Life carries on in the villages despite the sky turning grey. Kids go to school. The elderly meet up at the local market witnessing the tainted color of PM2.5 onto a canvas that is the air. This is the only art form that they have the time to appreciate in otherwise surviving. Can creativity breathe life into change? The answer is yes, as long as they still have someone left alive to witness it.
