Deputy permanent secretary for Culture, Apinan Posayanont, explained yesterday that the "Hold Me Close" sculpture, done in the memory of lives lost to the 2004 tsunami, had been moved out of Krabi to be repaired and could be returned to the province on Thursday.
During a recent visit to Krabi, Apinan said he had noticed that Bourgeois's sculpture was deteriorating due to its proximity to the sea, which is why he thought of removing it to be repaired in Bangkok.
In addition, when Apinan tried to call Bourgeois to commission a piece for the Culture Ministry's "Imagine Peace" exhibition, he discovered the artist had died, making all her work immensely valuable. He said he had become concerned that the "Hold Me Close" statue might get stolen and its loss could affect Thailand's image.
Apinan said he later called on the Krabi Cultural Office to send the Krabi national park office and provincial governor a letter requesting permission to have the sculpture repaired as well as displayed in an exhibition honouring the late artist before returning it to Krabi. Saying that the accusations calling him "a thief" were too harsh, he added that he was willing to return the piece on Thursday, even though it had not been repaired, just to end the conflict. He said he was happy the locals were so devoted to the sculpture and encouraged local authorities and public to take good care of this piece of art.