Alain Soldeville

2006 - 2016
King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand (1927-2016) was known as Rama IX as the ninth sovereign of the Chakri dynasty. He was the longest - serving head of state in the world, having succeeded his brother to the throne on June 9, 1946. Crowned in 1950 as a constitutional monarch-absolute monarchy was abolished in 1932 - he was one of the cornerstones of Thailand’s unity. He intervened several times when the country was in the throes of military coups, and has been striving through his life to bring development projects to rural areas. Revered by the Thai population who respectfully call him "Phra Chao Yu Hoa", that is, the people’s god, he nearly had divine status. No one questioned his opinions or recommendations and any issue related to him is still extremely sensitive. Portraits of the sovereign at different periods of his life are ever-present in public areas around the country on his birthday and anniversary of his coronation: Giant digital prints appear on billboard banners, building facades, along avenues in the vicinity of the Royal Palace, in the lobbies of government and private company buildings, in subway stations, in shopping plazas’parking lots and entrance halls, and on state museum facades. The portraits come from the Royal Palace’s photographic archives or were commissioned from painters.