ELI is the concept for a monumental sculpture for a public space. It is – on one side – a homage to „The Elephant of the Bastille“ – a monument in Paris which existed between 1813 and 1846. Originally conceived in 1808 by Napoléon I, the colossal statue was intended to be created out of bronze and placed in the Place de la Bastille, but only a plaster full-scale model was built. At 24 m (78 ft) in height, the model itself became a recognisable construction and was immortalised by Victor Hugo in his novel Les Misérables (1862) in which it is used as a shelter by the street urchin Gavroche. It was built at the site of the Bastille and, although part of the original construction remains, the elephant itself was replaced a few years later by the July Column (1835–40) constructed on the same spot.
On the other side, ELI is a homage to The Elephant Maintenance Act of 1921 – a historical piece of legislation from Thailand that institutionalized an ancient royal prerogative regarding White Elephants (Chang Phueak). Rather than dealing with standard wildlife management or veterinary care, the Act codifies the sacred status of these rare animals and dictates their legal ownership. Under the 1921 Act, every white elephant discovered within the borders of the kingdom is legally classified as royal property and must be presented to the reigning monarch.
The sculpture-concept merges the characteristic of the „French“ and „Thai“ (ideal) elephant, whereas the Thai-prescriptions offered much more detailed model: A white elephant in Thailand is not necessarily an albino, but it must have pale skin. Potential candidates are evaluated according to various criteria established in ancient texts:
• A white or pink coloration of the eye around the cornea
• The palate must be pink and smooth
• A characteristic skin fold on the shoulders
• The skin around the tusks has the same color as the skin under the shoulders
• White or pink genitals
• White or pink toenails
• The cuticles must be lighter than the surrounding skin
• The hair is light brown and translucent when held against the light
• Two hairs grow from a single hair follicle
• The tail hairs must be particularly long
• The opening of the musth gland has a lighter color than in ordinary elephants
• The overall body coloration is a “chestnut-grey”
Elephants that pass this test are divided into four categories and then offered to the King. Sometimes, elephants from the lower categories are rejected.
