A Chiang Rai statue, designed to promote the Thailand Biennale, has had to be moved to a museum after superstitious locals blamed it for the floods that have ravaged the Mae Sai district.
Local residents describe the Angel of Mae Sai statue, sculpted by Thai artist Kraiwut Donjuk, as a bad omen, given that it consists of just a head, with no body. They say its location near the Mae Sai River triggered last week’s devastating flash floods.
(Nothing to do with the torrential rain or tropical storms apprently…)
In response, world-renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat has declared, “this country is insane”.
To appease the superstitious, the statue has now been relocated to Chiang Rai Contemporary Art Museum, according to a Nation Thailand report. It had previously stood in front of the Thailand – Myanmar border checkpoint.
In a video clip posted on Facebook, Chalermchai says blaming the statue for the devastation in Mae Sai makes no sense. He has called on locals to stop being afraid of the statue, explaining that works of art cannot trigger natural disasters.
Meanwhile, the statue’s creator, Kraiwut, says it took more than a year to sculpt and the intention behind the work was to promote last year’s Thailand biennale in Chiang Rai.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand | Khaosod English
