map office remove nets from coral reef to create 6 m high 'ghost island' in thailand

hong-kong based practice, map office has created a six meter high installation as part of the 2018 thailand biennale. ‘ghost island’ is made from reclaimed fishing nets that have been left behind in the sea around krabi and the andaman ocean and recalls the particular geology of the surrounding islands formed by the accumulation and stratification of numerous distinct layers. the installation aims to highlight important issues, such as waste at sea and the necessary labor required to protect our environment. 

all images courtesy of map office

krabi province is famous for the unique karst island landscape and clear blue waters, but beyond the tourist destination the region also supports numerous fishing activities. an invisible sign of those activities is the growing number of lost or abandoned fishing nets in the sea. these nets are causing huge damage to the marine environment as they become tangled up with fish and turtles. for this project, map office has worked with a group of environmental activist divers that participated in protecting the coral around the islands and free trapped animals from the nets. by using this method, the main material used for the construction of the new island is free and the most important concept of cleaning up the sea is effectively demonstrated.

collecting ‘ghost fishing nets’ in krabi national park

ghost island bamboo construction with bambugu/master choy

ghost island weaving ‘ghost fishing nets’

removing the nets from the coral

ghost island from above

the lost and abandoned fishing nets

ghost island by night

ghost island visited by local seabird

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom