Contemporary Art Space

Saturday December 14 2019, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Anagard is a professional street artist that specializes in stencil street art and whose work is characterized not only by the traditional colours and patterns he uses, but also by the half-man, half-animal heads and masks of his characters. He graduated from the Indonesia Institute of Arts University (ISI) in Yogyakarta where he has taken the initiative in the nascent street art movement and as a result has become an active organizer of art events and street art festivals across the country.

His work often incorporates traditional motifs mixed with a raw illustrative style and explores a variety of issues such as anti-extremism, the environment, politics, and the protection of Indonesian lands, people, and culture.

He remainds very active, both in his home country and abroad and his colorful art can be found adorning many walls around Yogyakarta, Bali, Lombok, and abroad in neighbouring countries like Malaysia, and Thailand. He has also painted prolifically across the globe in Australia; Berlin, Poland, Lithuania, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, and across other parts of Europe to name a few.

In November of 2019 he won the United Overseas Bank ‘South-East Asian Painting of the Year’ award with his piece entitled: ”Welcome Perdamaian, Goodbye Kedengkian (Welcome Peace, Goodbye Hostility)”, a stencil painting on aluminium.

Anagard on Facebook
Interview with Anagard
Read his latest feature here in The Straits Times:

On Show: November 30 2019 – February 24, 2020
Opening Night: Friday November 29 2019, 6:00pm
Artist Talk: Saturday Januar 18 2020, 2:00 – 3:00pm

Join us for a memorable opening night of our next exhibition “Our Village” by documentary photographer Roun Ry, and let’s celebrate our third year anniversary at MIRAGE.

ARTIST STATEMENT:

“The series ‘Our Village’ is in part inspired by my interaction with the villagers from the fishing communities in Phnom Krom, Chong Kneas and Kampong Phluk. I wanted to capture moments of everyday life in the villages and document the challenges the fishermen and their families face living on the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. With overfishing and dam construction projects becoming a threat to the ecosystem of the lake, I hope the viewers, just like me, can get a sense of how important human-nature relationship is for us Cambodians, particularly within the fishing communities.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Roun Ry is a self-taught photographer and translator based in Siem Reap, Cambodia. His interest in the medium began when he first participated in the annual Anjali Photo Workshops in 2010, organized by the non-profit Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops. In December 2016, he was invited to attend a masterclass with a French photographer Antoine d’Agata and an Indian photographer Sohrab Hura during the Angkor Photo Festival. Since then, his passion for photography has motivated him to learn as much as possible about the craft. He is an active collaborator of the Festival, volunteering his time to help his younger Cambodian peers to learn photography. His attention is focused on documenting the life of the Tonle Sap Lake and the local indigenous Cham Community. He works as a photographer and local guide.

Saturday, August 24, 2019 at 10:00 – 11:00am

This Public Lecture with Emily Howe is hosted in conjunction with the Center for Khmer Studies and accompanies the exhibition “សូរស្រ្តី | Her Sounds”.  Emily will theorize the importance of sound and music as a means of documenting and understanding women’s lives, as well as cultural continuity and change across generations. She will then take listeners behind the scenes of the project’s genesis and production, sharing data and preliminary conclusions as well as challenges and pitfalls of the project. Finally, she will argue for the practical and theoretical potential of collaborative, public-oriented research projects such as “សូរស្រ្តី | Her Sounds.” Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition at MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space.

ABOUT “HER SOUNDS”:

The arts hold a complex position in the Cambodian imaginary. While on one hand often referred to as “the soul of Cambodia,” study of the arts is sometimes dismissed as akin to “kicking air,” emphasizing its impractical, artificial nature. For women artists, this dichotomy is complicated further by the widespread belief that to earn a living as musician or dancer is tantamount to selling one’s body. And so being a woman artist in Cambodia, as in many other contexts, requires particular courage, passion, and persistence.

And yet, despite these challenges, women artists in Cambodia fearlessly pursue their art every day, enhancing community life in significant but often under-acknowledged ways – and finding joy, solidarity, and strength in the process.

“សូរស្ត្រី | Her Sounds” is a collaborative multimedia research project and exhibition aiming to explore these tensions and dichotomies while celebrating the passion, persistence, and power of Cambodia’s women artists through image, sound, and story. Featuring artist portraits by photographer Neak Sophal and accompanying sound pieces created from interviews with ethnomusicologist Emily Howe, the exhibition constructs a living archive of the significant contributions women artists make to Cambodian society by documenting the perspectives of culture-bearers, innovators, and community artists spanning the nation and generations. Showcasing the artistry of traditional, classical, popular, and contemporary musicians and dancers while also illuminating the social significance of quotidian practices including social dance, ritual chant, and lullaby, the exhibition aims to spark dialogue about the art, lives, and dreams of Cambodian women past, present, and future.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Emily Howe is a CKS Senior Fellow and an American ethnomusicologist, music educator, and conductor who through her research and practice explores music and sound as a lens into global history and culture, as well as a means of catalyzing social change in diverse contexts. Currently a PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology at Boston University, Emily’s dissertation examines the politics of development and social change in contemporary Cambodia through analysis of music and dance practices. Active as a conductor and music educator, Emily is passionate about working to make meaningful musical experiences accessible to all who might want them and has led ensembles and projects in schools, community music centers, prisons, and houses of worship in her hometown of Boston and around the world. Emily has authored publications, given presentations, and taught university courses on topics related to music education, choral music, and world music cultures, and she continues to explore issues related to global repertoires, performance, and identity in her scholarly and creative practice.

On Show: August 24 – November 25, 2019
Opening Night: Friday  August 23, 2019 at 6:00pm

We’re excited to announce our newest collaboration with Neak Sophal and Emily Howe, presenting their exhibition “Her Sounds.” It is a collaborative multimedia research project and exhibition celebrating the passion, persistence, and power of Cambodia’s women artists through image, sound, and story. Featuring artist portraits by photographer Neak Sophal and accompanying sound pieces created from interviews with ethnomusicologist Emily Howe, the exhibition constructs a living archive of the significant contributions women artists make to Cambodian society by documenting the perspectives of culture-bearers, innovators, and community artists spanning the nation and generations. Showcasing the artistry of traditional, classical, popular, and contemporary musicians and dancers while also illuminating the social significance of quotidian practices including social dance, ritual chant, and lullaby, the exhibition aims to spark dialogue about the art, lives, and dreams of Cambodian women past, present, and future.

This project is made possible by the generous support of:  
Giant Ibis Transport
Be Happy by Baby Elephant
Hotel De La Chheng
Mony Reach Angkor Hotel
Colorhouse Prints 

ABOUT THE COLLABORATORS:​

Neak Sophal (born 1989, Cambodia), a graduate of the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, has a growing reputation for her distinct aesthetic and ongoing thematic exploration of Cambodian society. Through composed portraiture staged collaboratively with her subjects, Sophal’s artwork often challenges social structures, illuminating the hidden memories and fear that animate people’s lives and identities. Active locally and internationally, Sophal has participated in workshops and group and solo exhibitions in France, Sweden, the United States, Japan, and Australia, as well as at Angkor Photo Festival (Cambodia), Spot Art (Singapore), Hong Kong International Photo Festival, Bangkok Photo Festival, Asian Eye Culture (Thailand), Voice of Tacitness Exhibition (China), Our City Festival (Cambodia), SurVivArt (Germany), and Photo Phnom Penh Festival (Cambodia). Read more about her work at www.sophalneak.com.

Emily Howe (born 1987, USA) is an American ethnomusicologist, music educator, and conductor who through her research and practice explores music and sound as a lens into global history and culture, as well as a means of catalyzing social change in diverse contexts. Currently conducting research for her PhD dissertation about music in Cambodia, Emily has authored publications, given presentations, and taught university courses on topics related to music education, choral music, and world music cultures, and she continues to explore issues related to global repertoires, performance, and identity in her scholarly and creative practice. Read more about her work at www.emilyhowe.info.

BACKGROUND

The arts hold a complex position in the Cambodian imaginary. While on one hand often referred to as “the soul of Cambodia,” study of the arts is sometimes dismissed as akin to “kicking air,” emphasizing its impractical, artificial nature. For women artists, this dichotomy is complicated further by the widespread belief that to earn a living as a musician or dancer is tantamount to selling one’s body. And so being a woman artist in Cambodia, as in many other contexts, requires particular courage, passion, and persistence.

And yet, despite these challenges, women artists in Cambodia fearlessly pursue their art every day, enhancing community life in significant but often under acknowledged ways – and finding joy, solidarity, and strength in the process. Listening to the stories of women artists across generations, we can hear of passion in the face of adversity, artistry in the face of pain, and pride in the face of discouragement. We can sense the genuine love with which these artists pursue their work, often with little financial reward or societal recognition. And we can learn something of artists’ belief in the significance of their art for Cambodian society, and the desire they have to transmit their knowledge to the next generation.

We can also understand how broader ideas about women in society are expressed in and navigated through artistic practice in Cambodia, and how such negotiation has been approached at different points in history. Speaking with classical dancers who specialize in the yek giant role, including Master Em Theay, we can understand how women for millennia have been taught to embody strength and rage – attributes not typically attributed to “proper” Cambodian women. Speaking with classical musicians including Master Tep Mari and young artist Maen Sreymao prompts us to consider historical attitudes toward women who play classical instruments – a practice few women learn in the present. And speaking with young contemporary dancers including New Cambodian Artists, we can learn how a new generation of artists is exploring ideas about gender through performances consciously challenging typically feminine comportment.

Thus, by exploring how societal ideas about gender are expressed through traditional, classical, popular, and quotidian artistic practices, this exhibition illuminates the place of the arts in the lives of Cambodian women while sparking dialogue about the potentials and limitations of music and dance to promote gender equality, to empower women, and to catalyze social change.

SELECTED ARTISTS

Em Theay:
Master Em Theay is an 86-year-old classical dancer who grew up in the Royal Palace, where she learned to specialize in the yek (giant) role. Subsequently, she trained her daughter and granddaughter in the role; today, all three generations work professionally as dancers.

Hem Sovann:
As a young woman, 71-year-old Hem Sovann moved to Phnom Penh from her hometown in Pursat province to pursue a career as a singer, performing with the biggest stars of the sixties and seventies including Sin Sisamouth. She is one of the few popular artists to survive the Khmer Rouge regime, and she continues to perform today.

Yeiy Chong:
Yeiy Chong is a 68-year old woman from Oddar Meanchey who performs ritual songs with the khen (mouth organ) instrument at cremation ceremonies in her community.

Messenger Band:
Comprising five former garment workers, the Phnom Penh-based Messenger Band travels around Cambodia leading collaborative song-writing projects giving voice to the challenges facing urban and rural communities.

Thorn Seyma:
Originally from Kampot province, 42-year-old Thorn Seyma is a singer and co-founder of the Khmer Magic Music Bus, a community music initiative bringing live traditional music to rural Cambodia.

Srey Sokhy:
36-year-old Srey Sokhy recently relocated from Phnom Penh to her hometown in rural Kampong Thom province, where she was active as a dancer in Roam Luek Phka (“Selling Flowers Dance”) fundraising events in her community before she married.

Men Mao:
Siem Reap-based Maen Sreymao is a 32-year-old expert at the rare traditional instrument tro Khmer, which she learned from her father, as well as a singer and member of the women’s drumming ensemble Medha.

Vartey Ganiva:
Vartey Ganiva is a 27-year-old punk singer whose original songs discuss the realities of women’s lives in urban Phnom Penh.

New Cambodian Artists:
The young Siem Reap-based dancers of New Cambodian Artists create contemporary dance theater inspired by their training in classical Cambodian dance and speaking to the issues facing women in contemporary Cambodia.

Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Free of charge
Khmer with English language support

Join the Artist Talk with Bor Hak from Romcheik 5 collective accompanying the “Unsaid Things” exhibition. This event is organised in conjunction with our current exhibition “Unsaid Things” by Romcheik 5.

ABOUT BOR HAK

(born 1990, Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia)
Bor Hak, sculptor and illustrator. He graduated from Phare Ponleu Selpak School in 2010, where he currently works in the Phare Ponleu Selpak Animation studio. He lives and works at Romcheik 5 art space.

Solo exhibitions:
2018 Tribalism / Romcheik 5 Artspace / Battambang
2014 “ Green world” / Sammaki gallery / Battambang
Duo exhibition:
2019 That Which is Hidden / Java café & gallery / Phnom Penh
2017 Deep in the wood / Meta House / Phnom Penh
2013 Knitting & Weaving / Top art Gallery / Phnom Penh
Group exhibitions:
2018 Saison du Cambodge / Galerie Impressions / Paris
2016 Out of darkness / Constable gallery/ Siem Reap
2014 Made in Cambodia / Galerie 3F / Paris / France
2014 Made in Battambang / French Institute / Phnom Penh
2014 Portraits du Cambodge / Galerie Impressions / Paris
2013 Memory Workshop / Seasons of Cambodia / New-York
2012 Bor Hak in the land of guignols / Romeet Gallery / Phnom Penh
2017 Award : Best cambodian animation short film (Tokyo international animation movie festival)

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION “UNSAID THINGS” AT MIRAGE
From June 22 until August, 19, 2019

Romcheik 5 Collective take their name from the sleepy neighbourhood of Battambang where seven years ago four ambitious young artists established a collective with the help of a private donor. What initially started out as a modest group of simple shelters to give artists a safe space to live and create has over the years evolved into a permanent collection, gallery and communal studio complex that highlights contemporary visual arts from the local area. The province itself has long been a bastion of creativity and has produced some of the most innovative artists, musicians, thinkers and poets in Khmer society for over a century with many scholars tracing this creative autonomy back to the Angkorian era.

Bor Hak, Hour Seyha, Nget Chanpenh and Mil Chankrin, the artists who make up the core of Romcheik 5, are all graduates from the renowned Phare Ponleu Selpak School. After graduation, what defined these young artists and motivated them to form their collective were the shared experiences of their youth; memories of abandonment, irresponsible parents, exile and distress. As children they were sold into child labour in Thailand and trafficked across the border, sometimes picking fruit, herding cattle and working long hours in garment factories. When they were caught and deported back to Cambodia, they found their way into Phare Ponleu Selpak and the arts provided a way for them to process the trauma they had experienced. In a country where nobody remains untouched by violence and exploitation the work of the collective is a testament to the transformative and healing nature of the artistic process.

“Unsaid Things”, proudly hosted by MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space, is a bold comment on past, present and future Cambodia providing an illuminating look into the darker parts of society which often remain unspoken. The artists are concerned with the unfathomable ways in which societies are shaped by collective traumas and their work is a reflection of its impact on the psychology of the people. In a part of the world where mental health disorders are often undiagnosed and misunderstood the rippling effects of these traumas throughout the generations can cause damage on a scale that is incalculable. From depictions of surrealistic villages that serve as societal critique to malformed figures in watercolour and sculpture that appear ripped apart by internal conflict, the artists take us from conflict to spiritual wonderment, to observation and collective torment.

June 22, 2019

NO EXCUSES. GO SKATE. Go Skateboarding Day 2019 is your chance to join the skateboarders from all around the globe and show your support and to skateboard. Join Cambodia’s one and only Go Skateboarding Day 2019!

This is a joint event by MIRAGE Collective and Metal Your Day. And it is possible due to our awesome sponsors, collaborators and the prizes sponsors.

OUR SPECIAL THANKS GO TO: 

Silk Garden for offering us the after-party venue
Chris Shie for sponsoring skateboards and all your PR support
TRIBE Cambodia, thank you for the trophy for the best skater & the limited print by the Street Artist Fin Dac (!)
Ink Lab Tattoo Siem Reap for offering 200$ worth voucher for tattoos
Be Happy by Baby Elephant and Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel sponsoring the vouchers and to your co-owner Adam Scott for being our DJ (!!!)
10K Skate-Shop for the skateboarding gear
Pool Party Hostel for offering an overnight stay (B&B for 2) and apparel
X Bar for letting us skate your ramp, promotion, apparel and vouchers

And Collaborators:
Phare, The Cambodian Circus, CRANE Siem Reap, Bang Bang Bakery-Cafe, Wine O’clock – CAFE & DELI BAR – 24hours, OFF TRACK Accessories, Atmosphere Siem Reap, Jungle Burger Sports Bar & Bistro, Sport Legends Arena, Charlie+ Barber Shop and The Coffeeholic.

Thank you for making the Go Skateboarding Day 2019 happen!
And as Florian from MYD would say: you metal

SCHEDULE

6:00 – 7:30pm
Skating at Royal Gardens: Game of Skate Demo | Best Trick Contest | Hippy Jump

Contest 8:00pm – 12:00 am
After-party @ Silk Garden: Winners, Prizes and Giveaways, Music & Fun

On Show: June 22 – August, 19, 2019
Opening Night: Friday June 21, 2019 at 6:00pm
Artist Talk with Bor Hak: July 13, 2019

“Unsaid Things”, proudly hosted by Mirage Contemporary Art Space, is a bold comment on past, present and future Cambodia providing an illuminating look into the darker parts of society which often remain unspoken. The artists are concerned with the unfathomable ways in which societies are shaped by collective traumas and their work is a reflection of its impact on the psychology of the people. In a part of the world where mental health disorders are often undiagnosed and misunderstood the rippling effects of these traumas throughout the generations can cause damage on a scale that is incalculable. From depictions of surrealistic villages that serve as societal critique to malformed figures in watercolour and sculpture that appear ripped apart by internal conflict, the artists take us from conflict to spiritual wonderment, from observation to collective torment.

ABOUT THE ROMCHEIK 5 COLLECTIVE

ROMCHEIK 5 take their name from the sleepy neighbourhood of Battambang where seven years ago four ambitious young artists: Bor Hak, Hour Seyha, Nget Chanpenh and Mil Chankrin established a collective with the help of a private donor. What initially started out as a modest group of simple shelters to give artists a safe space to live and create, has over the years evolved into a permanent collection, gallery and communal studio complex that highlights contemporary visual arts from the local area.

Bor Hak, Hour Seyha, Nget Chanpenh and Mil Chankrin, the artists who make up the core of Romcheik 5, are all graduates from the renowned Phare Ponleu Selpak School. After graduation, what defined these young artists and motivated them to form their collective were the shared experiences of their youth; memories of abandonment, irresponsible parents, exile and distress.They were sold into child labour in Thailand and trafficked across the border. Once deported back to Cambodia, they have found their way into renowned Phare Ponleu Selpak School and the arts helped them to process the trauma they had experienced.

The Collective lives and works in Battambang. Despite their young age, they already participated in solo exhibitions in Phnom Penh, and group exhibitions abroad. Many of their works have been sold in several countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA.

On Show: June 14 – 16, 2019
Opening Night: Friday, June 14 2019 at 06:00pm

In his exhibition “Trails of Siem Reap” Foo Kwee Horng takes us on his personal journey to Cambodia, a country dear to the Singaporean artist. His watercolours are recollections of day-to-day Cambodian scenes.

We follow the artist as he discovers, captures and zooms in on everyday miracles. We get immersed in tumultuous streets of Siem Reap’s downtown, we sometimes wander without purpose, seeking refuge in the shade of the River Road trees. We observe orange-clad monks and tuk-tuk drivers resting in their hommocks. As we meet the local vendors at the Old Market, the artist evokes scents and flavours of Cambodian spices, of amok, curries and hot basil. Traveling the back roads on a tuk-tuk, dust blurs the iconic image before us – the temple of Angkor Wat, secret in its jungle foliage. We reach it at sunset and its beauty is overwhelming.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Foo Kwee Horng turned to full-time painting in 2010 after having been an art teacher for 15 years. Apart from painting, he does part-time teaching to teachers and students of mainstream schools and is an external supervisor for NIE art teachers. He is also a regular volunteer at Colours of Cambodia, Siem Reap. The exhibition at MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space is a tribute to the artist’s memories and experiences gained in Cambodia.

Saturday April 27, 2019 at 10:00am – 12:00pm

Join the artists of Open Studio Cambodia for a printmaking workshop, accompanying our current exhibition “A Place For Us”. You will learn how to make a linoleum block print with your own design (or with a design provided by us) and leave with a printed picture.

All skill levels are welcome, all materials included.
Cost: 25 USD/person
Book your spot: info@mirage-collective.com

On Show: April 26 – June 10, 2019
Opening Night: Friday, April 26, 6:00pm
Printmaking Workshop on Saturday, April 27, 10:00am – 12:00pm

Open Studio Cambodia’s debut exhibition in Siem Reap. “A Place For Us” showcases the work of six emerging Cambodian artists based in Kampot. Celebrating the sacredness of the artists’ creative space, Open Studio brings the studio to the viewer, recreating the active creative workspace inside the gallery. Every piece unravels a story for the viewer, often autobiographical, from anecdotal to epic, uplifting to tragic to otherworldly.

Artists On Show:
Chan Phoun, Morn Chear, Pav Rasmey, Yim Mary, Long Lavy, Srey Norp, Rath Rathana and Lauren Iida

More information about Open Studio Cambodia:
https://www.openstudiocambodia.com/
Wine reception during the opening by Les Celliers d’Asie Siem Reap
Furniture installation supported by Oko Gallery

Saturday March 9, 2019 at 2:00pm

Join the talk by KWN23, Shanghai Chang and Many Sin, accompanying their 180°, Homeless Artists Collective exhibition at MIRAGE on show until April 15. The HOMELESS Artist Collective is a Phnom Penh based, collective of 3 young Cambodian artists who share the same passion for art. First exhibited as a collective in January 2019, with the exhibit ‘I DON’T BELONG HERE’ at Bong The Gallery, Phnom Penh Cambodia. 180° at MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space is their first exhibition in Siem Reap.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

So Sothsovakong / KWN23
(born 1998, Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia) So Sothsovankong is a self-taught graffiti artist. His practices include graffiti, film and painting. In 2017 he worked as an assistant and graffiti artist for PAINT PHNOM PENH Project at The Factory Phnom Penh. In the same year he played the lead character of Sok Chan Rado’s “White Wall,” a short film-selected for screening at the Chaktomuk Film Festival 2017. In 2018 he was selected by Java Creative Café as Creative Generation 2018 and exhibited “Light at the End of the Tunnel”. His work has also been exhibited internationally in Tokyo as part of the group exhibition “Being No-one, Going Nowhere”. KWN23 currently works for Sa Sa Art Projects, a Cambodian artist-run space, lives and works in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Shanghai Chang
(born 1996, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) Shanghai Chang is a conceptual fashion designer and visual artist. He graduated with a BA from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Fashion Design and Photography. His practice includes conceptual fashion design, photography, experimental film and installation. His conceptual fashion has been exhibited at Java Creative Café as part of ‘Creative Generation 2017’ and his solo exhibition, “Dancer in the Dark”. 2018 was a very fruitful year for Shanghai: he was in-residency artists at Kon Len Khnom Art Space, and his short movie “mélancolie (n.)” was screened during International Film Festival 2018 in Phnom Penh and selected for “S-Express Cambodia 2018”. He also exhibited in Tokyo as part of group exhibition “Being Noone, Going Nowhere” and in Meta House in “Plastic Kingdom” group exhibition. He is the founder and lead designer behind ‘WINDOWSEAT’ a conceptual fashion and creative menswear label produced in Phnom Penh where he currently resides.

Many Sin
(born in 1990, Battambang Province, Cambodia) Many is a self-taught contemporary artist whose work includes installation, painting, sculpture and photography. He graduated with a BA in Banking and Finance from the University of Battambang. He has worked closely with SA SA BASSAC as an exhibition attendant. He was selected by Java Creative Café to produce his first solo show in 2018 entitled: “Sign”. In 2018 he also participated in two group exhibitions. “Personnes and Espace’ was held at the French Institute of Cambodia in Phnom Penh and in Tokyo his work was part of ‘Being Noone, Going Nowhere’. He currently works as a curatorial assistant for multiple art projects in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

On Show: February 16 – April 14, 2019
Opening Night: Friday February 15, 2019 at 6:00pm
Artist Talk: Saturday April 9, 2019 at 2:00pm

“When three creative weirdos found each other, their lives turned 180°.”

In this second exhibition as a collective, the artists Shanghai Chang, KWAN 23 and Many Sin explore what unites them despite there being many differences in their artistic practice. Together, as a collective, they share a passion for contemporary arts, fashion, music, and bohemian lifestyles. ‘180°’ refers to their brave divergent practices and truly modern approach to making art compared to their contemporaries and forbearers. The exhibition at MIRAGE comprises of sublime dressmaking by Shanghai Chang, paintings by KWN23 and steel sculptures and screen prints by Many Sin.

ON THE EVENT NIGHT:

LIVE silk screen printing by Silk Screen Printing Lab: bring your cotton t-shirt and we will help you to print a design on it. Printing on items brought by guests is donation-based in order to support H O M E L E S S and its members. There will be white t-shirts prepared on site available for purchase. We offer one design in black print. Live visual projections by Disaster Tourist Lightshow Wine reception by Les Celliers d’Asie Siem Reap

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

The HOMELESS Collective is a Phnom Penh based, collective of 3 young Cambodian artists who share the same passion for art. First exhibited as a collective in January 2019, with the exhibit ‘I DON’T BELONG HERE’ at Bong The Gallery, Phnom Penh Cambodia. 180° at MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space is their second exhibition as a collective.

So Sothsovankong / KWN23
(born 1998, Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia) So Sothsovankong is a self-taught graffiti artist. His practices include graffiti, film and painting. In 2017 he worked as an assistant and graffiti artist for PAINT PHNOM PENH Project at The Factory Phnom Penh. In the same year he played the lead character of Sok Chan Rado’s “White Wall,” a short film-selected for screening at the Chaktomuk Film Festival 2017. In 2018 he was selected by Java Creative Café as Creative Generation 2018 and exhibited “Light at the End of the Tunnel”. His work has also been exhibited internationally in Tokyo as part of the group exhibition “Being No-one, Going Nowhere”. KWN23 currently works for Sa Sa Art Projects, a Cambodian artist-run space, lives and works in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Shanghai Chang
(born 1996, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) Shanghai Chang is a conceptual fashion designer and visual artist. He graduated with a BA from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Fashion Design and Photography. His practice includes conceptual fashion design, photography, experimental film and installation. His conceptual fashion has been exhibited at Java Creative Café as part of ‘Creative Generation 2017’ and his solo exhibition, “Dancer in the Dark”. 2018 was a very fruitful year for Shanghai: he was in-residency artists at Kon Len Khnom Art Space, and his short movie “mélancolie (n.)” was screened during International Film Festival 2018 in Phnom Penh and selected for “S-Express Cambodia 2018”. He also exhibited in Tokyo as part of group exhibition “Being Noone, Going Nowhere” and in Meta House in “Plastic Kingdom” group exhibition. He is the founder and lead designer behind ‘WINDOWSEAT’ a conceptual fashion and creative menswear label produced in Phnom Penh where he currently resides.

Many Sin
(born in 1990, Battambang Province, Cambodia) Many is a self-taught contemporary artist whose work includes installation, painting, sculpture and photography. He graduated with a BA in Banking and Finance from the University of Battambang. He has worked closely with SA SA BASSAC as an exhibition attendant. He was selected by Java Creative Café to produce his first solo show in 2018 entitled: “Sign”. In 2018 he also participated in two group exhibitions. “Personnes and Espace’ was held at the French Institute of Cambodia in Phnom Penh and in Tokyo his work was part of ‘Being Noone, Going Nowhere’. He currently works as a curatorial assistant for multiple art projects in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Opening Night: January 11, 2019 at 6:00 pm

Join the Artist talk with Sao Sreymao, accompanying the exhbition “Under The Water”. Environmental and social concerns have been at the center of Sreymao’s practice. In her work the artist depicts changes taking place in the communities living along the Tonle Sap Lake and the Mekong River, effects of climate change, overfishing and dam construction. She documents villages once full of life, now turned deserted, abandoned by its inhabitants looking for work elsewhere, decaying food security and endangered livelihoods, especially due to the building of hydroelectric dams in the Lower Mekong Basin. The dams were to bring the economic growth and increase energy security, but turned disastrous for the entire ecosystem with villages disappearing and families being evicted.

“Under the Water” is a dreamy representation of one of such villages, completely submerged under water with its five thousand inhabitants, including large number of indigenous Punong living by the banks of Sesan River being relocated, leaving everything behind.

Sao Sreymao’s research for Under the Water exhibition is supported by Dam Dos Grant of Cambodian Living Arts. The exhibition is made possible through the support from Rei Foundation. The current exhibition is a partnership between Sa Sa Art Projects and MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space.

On Show: January 12 – February 12, 2019
Opening Night: Friday January 11, 2019 at 6:00 pm

“Under The Water” presents the latest series of digital sketch on photograph work and a new installation by Sao Sreymao. Poetic as much as haunting, Sreymao constructs images of changing and disappearing communities along the Mekong River and its tributaries in the northern part of Cambodia that are affected by human-made environmental degradation.

In addition to the prints, Sreymao also presents an installation work: a cluster of small house and human sculptures made of candle wax that are to be lit at the exhibition opening.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Sao Sreymao (born 1986, Site 2 refugee camp, Thai border) graduated from Phare Ponleu Selpak’s School of Visual and Applied Arts, Battambang province in 2006, and was a participant of Sa Sa Art Projects’ Contemporary Art Class in 2016. Her multi-disciplinary practice includes painting, photography, digital drawing, sculpture and performance. Her works explore personal expression and memories, as well as the changing physical and psychological landscapes of Cambodian urban and rural communities. She has also collaborated with various writers in visual storytelling and published a number of graphic novels.

Sreymao was an artist fellow of Sylt Foundation to undertake a residency in Sylt, Germany in 2017. She is also a recipient of Dam Dos Grant 2018 of Cambodian Living Arts. Her most recent group exhibitions and performances include Day Dream, Khmer Sense (2018); Body of Sorrow, Sa Sa Art Projects (2018); Facing the Climate Change, the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia (2018) and Embassy of Sweden (2017); and Kraanh Norneal, Sa Sa Art Projects (2017).

Sao Sreymao’s research for Under the Water exhibition is supported by Dam Dos Grant of Cambodian Living Arts. The exhibition is made possible through the support from Rei Foundation. The exhibition is a partnership between Sa Sa Art Projects and MIRAGE Contemporary Art Space.