S.O.E OUR CITY OLD TOWN

S - Solid

O - Original

E - Excellent

“A city is only as good as its community” is all that needs to be said regarding the old city of Khon Kaen. The city started here, as a small village of farmers and fishermen, working through the seasons and ages by waters of Lake Kaen Nakhorn, then called Nhong Khon Kaen. The little village of Nhong Khon Kaen grew to become Khon Kaen, a metropolis in the heart of Issan, a centre of change in the new era. The city grows as funding for infrastructure mega projects flows, increasing in scope and efficiency in trade and logistics, by air and land, and its potential as a centre of future expansion. Khon Kaen has also earned its metropolitan status through tourism, boasting a wide variety of attractions in natural sites, unique and well-preserved traditions, original folkways, history and the arts. Khon Kaen has not been left behind as government policy surges forward into modernism. Why old city? Because the old city community has lived there since 2340BE, and the area is rich in history and community stories and much value can be added to the city by observing and learning about the lifestyles and folkways of the descendents of original residents, or from those who have moved into the area seeking success in this city of opportunity. Both groups have mingled in this space, echoed by current-day architecture -  a blend of modern and original dwellings adding another layer of charm to the atmosphere of the old city lifestyle, nestled in the wider Khon Kaen city’s development and forward movement. As economic prosperity and developments affect the daily life of people in Khon Kaen, the people of the old city adjust to take full advantage of the investments from various industries and commerce. Art and its creative application has become increasingly necessary as they build their own opportunities, which in foreign contexts has been very effective in building a tourism economy that supports and nourishes the local community. The changes and development in the futures of the people of Khon Kaen city reveals the necessity of building a strong, practical base of site specific creative work. The goal is to enhance the role of creativity in building community. The project will hold a particular focus on events that build local knowledge of contemporary arts, intending to increase awareness and normalise the role of arts in community life, and its ability to add value to the same. This will use a participatory art model to unify creators and the community, to create something that the people of the old town will truly see themselves in. The participatory model will be effective in introducing the arts into areas which have traditionally not been exposed to the fine arts, while building community identity as development pushes on. This has the added benefit of forming a creative identity for the community to build on, to improve the commerce and quality of life of the old town residents.