Mayor Keeratisak Phukaoluan
Responding to much muttering and complaint over the decision to cut down a majestic, 143-year tree for an art museum installation, Krabi’s mayor spoke up to tell everyone the tree was already living on borrowed time.
Like only another five decades or maybe a century.
“This tree is all hollow. It’s just a matter of when it will die,” Mayor Keeratisak Phukaoluan said philosophically in an interview with Manager. “Let’s say it can live another 50 or 100 more years. It will die anyway.”
Despite highly critical response from people objecting to the destruction of nature to make art, Mayor Keeratisak insisted cutting the tree would benefit the province as its woods will be turned into an art installation by famed national artist Kamol Tassanachalee and Japanese artist “Mukai.”
Keerati said the tree would do far more good for the people of Krabi once it was cut into whimsical shapes.
“This tree will be cut and turned into art to be displayed in Krabi city for hundreds of years. I’m gonna ask you: What is a better use of the tree than attracting people to come visit Krabi? Why just let it stand there?”
The art installation will be displayed at Andaman Cultural Center, as part of the city’s campaign to brand itself as a “city of arts.”
Krabi officials bought the tall lakoocha tree for THB100,000 from the landlord where the tree stood. The mayor added the tree was going to to be cut anyway to build a house.
This is not mayor Keeratisak’s first art project. He previously cuted-up zebra walkways around the city by painting actual zebras to attract tourists.
“Why would zebra walkways have stripes?” Keeratisak commented. “After we painted cartoonish zebras on the crosswalks, people came to take photos with them. People know the zebras, and they even got their 2-minute moment with Sorayuth! [news program]”
Photo: Keeratisak Phukaoluan
Related:
Worth it? 143-year-old cut into pieces for art
Krabi cutes up zebra crossings
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