The United States is celebrating the 190th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Thailand this year by holding a "Rivers of Life" art exhibition at Iconsiam until March 26. The event is being co-hosted by the US embassy, Iconsiam and Chiang Khong Community in Chiang Rai.
Lydia Barraza, the US embassy's cultural attaché, told the Bangkok Post the embassy came up with an idea to promote people's livelihoods along the Mississippi and Mekong rivers, as well as show the effects of development, and how the two countries are combatting and mitigating the effects of climate change.
"The Mississippi River is one of the lifeline rivers of the United States, and so too is the Mekong River for Thailand and other countries it passes through. The Mississippi River looks after our wheat and corn fields and also feeds into the middle of the US. We can see that both countries rely on these waterways, and both countries have seen these waterways degraded. So, we have to deal with challenges,'' Ms Barraza said.
The art exhibition is the last in a series of cultural projects called "A Tale of Two Rivers". It started in January when the US embassy brought nine American artists to hold art workshops with Thai artists in Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai. In February, they put their work on display at a market in Chiang Khong.
When asked if the latest exhibition is related to Chinese involvement in the Mekong River, Ms Barraza suggested it was always intended to celebrate US-Thai ties.
"What we are trying to do with this project is use art as a way to see and feel the effect of the water on our lives and the similarities between us and Thailand," she said.