Adaptation?
Graduate Exhibition of Contemporary and Documentary Photography Class 2020
Opening: Thursday, 4 Feb 2021, 6:00-8:00 pm
Exhibition ends 20 Feb 2021
In English and Khmer
Sa Sa Art Projects
This exhibition is a result of Contemporary and Documentary Photography Class 2020 at Sa Sa Art Projects. Throughout the three-month class, students explored the possibilities of photography and beyond with critical thinking in visual arts. In class, students engaged in critical discussion among their peers with the teacher on diverse topics. The students also studied the process of making photographs, exploring techniques and concepts to challenge their practice through assignments. After the three-month class, they were required to make their individual projects. They completed their projects within one month and a half. Interestingly and surprisingly, the final result includes 68 photographs by 9 students with diverse styles, exploring personal experiences, documentation of nature and environmental issues, social structure, urbanization, human connection, and questioning identity, to provoke discussions among us.
Contemporary and Documentary Photography Class is part of Sa Sa Art Projects’ education program aiming to support young artists in developing their emerging artistic practices in photography and building critical knowledge. The class involves three-month weekly meetings, followed by a period for the participants to develop new bodies of work. In the class, participants discuss different topics of various disciplines such as histories and theories of photography, art, analysis of works by local and international photographers including those working with Magnum Photos and Agence VU, and gallery visits. The class is facilitated by Sa Sa Art Projects’ co-founder Lim Sokchanlina with some invited guest lecturers and speakers.
Contemporary and Documentary Photography Class 2020 is supported by Rei Foundation
Lun Nora
Nonbiological Mother, 2020-2021
One day when I had to return to Phnom Penh, I said goodbye to my family as usual. But this time, I felt weird when I said goodbye to my aunt. My conscience tells me that I should love her more and give more attention to her. She took care of me from a young age, she should have deserved more than this. After I tried to recall the feelings I had with her when I was young, but I could not feel them at all. Today she is taking care of my two nephews, one five years old and the other three years old. My grandma told me that she (my aunt) loves to take care of children and that she loves my two nephews so much. It makes me feel guiltier. So start think about her and other women who had taking care of the children that not their own and I have decided to take a photo of her. I also plan to continue taking photo stories of other women too. Their love might not be the same as our birth mother but when our mother’s love not there her love had come to comfort us.
Veng Bunheng
Feeling, 2020-2021
I took class in contemporary and documentary at the Sa Sa Art Projects. After studying for a while in the class I became interested in a portrait photography project, which allowed me to conduct research directly in some villages on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. During my research, I came to understand many problems, most of which are related to farmers. While I was asking about daily chores, farming techniques, benefits and consequences, he also had a hard time explaining the problem to me. After that time, I noticed that a person, even if he could not show a problem with somethings, he could not show it by gestures or actions, so he would show all those weird things on his face.
Finally, I believe that this portrait will bring all the emotions in his heart for the audience to understand.
Hean Rangsey
Razed to the Ground, Leaving just a name, 2020-2021
The mountain have been writing in poems, articles and songs describing its size, height, strength and beauty. At the same time, some of the history and names of the mountains were compiled by our Khmer ancestors as tales from one generation to another. As a kid, I used to read and fantasize about seeing those scenes fresh in my eyes, and they stuck in my head. As I traveled through the highland provinces, I came across those views, but some of the mountains along the road were quietly pierce, excavation, dug up.
Khath Vanna
Connection, 2020-2021
Since 2017, I have been very depressed, this is the beginning of my difficult life. Find out what to do to get rid of the nightmares of this life. I cannot hear what people around me say, I lose my smile, blame myself for even small things, and shed tears every day. To get out of stress; I always praying for myself to find the answer. Many methods have been taken but are still ineffective. One day, the gentleness, the calm, the constant smile of the sisters I met at the workshop, makes me dare to talk to her about my situation. She introduced me through meditation. I did every day for an hour for a year at Rajayoga center. I felt liberated and found out who I was. I started quitting all my part-time jobs to pursue a project I loved.
Heng Seiha, 35, from Kampong Cham province, as a mother who takes care of four children and runs a restaurant, she always takes time to meditate in her free time from a busy day. The mother is the main person to lead the family well. Understandably, she give up selling alcohol in restaurants, even knowing that it can earn a decent income to support the expenses in the store during the covid crisis. The power of meditation can really change and bring peace to life, including business and people around.
Kheng Soknet
Galaxy Pollution, 2020-2021
My family live along Mekong river and near a lake where my parents fishing and farming. Sometime, I look at the river and the lake, I see the brightness of the surface reflexing from the Sun. It is fascinating as like a galaxy appear in the daytime. I never thought that water pollution is caused by human activities like nowadays. Because I thought it was okay, if I just threw a little bit of rubbish and waste into the water, which can cause water pollution like it is today. This is why I decided to take the “Galaxy Pollution” as a topic in completing my course.
I took the pollution water with garbage to become an eye-catching Galaxy, as if we were visiting another planet mixed with bubbles of sewage and garbage. When you look at the colorful colors of each image, it is as if you are approaching one of the real galaxies of the universe, and it is as a strange figure. Maybe it is a spacecraftor other things. They are flying and floating on a corner of Ta Mok lake (Beoung Cherng Ek) in Phnom Penh. But if you look closely, it is a piece of plastic that people throw away irresponsibly. I hope this project getting people to reconsider the problem of man-made garbage and waste to reduce the use of plastic materials as little as possible in our rescue.
Chhen Vannak
Och... (Scars), 2020-2021
The physical material that holds me is not capable of portraying my identity, gender in the most defined and clear manner. How am I recognized by my surrounding? By the way I look, by the way I speak, by the gender I’m wearing, how do the surrounding truly identity my uniqueness? My uniqueness is over shadowed by my physical appearance.
Och… is the journey and overcomes engraved within me. Showcasing the struggles from the past, the experiences that has made me who I am know. The disconnection between my body, soul, family that keeps me grounded and descended from the society.
Mao Sovanchandy
Asymmetry, 2020-2021
Due to the increasing consumerism of modern property, old buildings are being demolished one by one to make ways for new buildings. Construction and destruction in the city are our daily experiences. Over the past 40 years, the excessive supply of Highrise that spread throughout Phnom Penh has brought irreversible changes and reinvented a new urban identity. The identity, legacies, and historical context of those buildings including the French colonial buildings and the resulting movement of new Khmer architecture in the 1960s are slowly being forgotten. This is an era of erasing memories of the city and therefore erasing the memories of the people as well.
As a young architect who lives through the accelerated urban development and disturbance, I held up mirrors reflecting the contrast of the old buildings versus the new ones, contemplating the balance and tension between development and preservation. In doing so, I intended to trigger our thoughts on our urban identity and our responsibilities toward these structures that bear so much cultural and historical value. I hope to deliver “facts” through surreal experiences, sometimes nostalgic, critical, and poetical.
Pheng Sreysor
Voiceless, 2020-2021
For three years, I spent almost all of my time on environmental work instead of spending time with my family and close friends. With the will and desire to protect Cambodia’s environment and natural resources. It is a job that is not supported by family and friends because it is vulnerable to threats, harassment or other accusations. However, this job really provides a valuable experience for myself, especially seeing the real face of society, the environment and people.
I have a lot of questions to ask, but I do not know who to ask and do not know how to find those answers, sometimes I seem to say what I want to say, but it cannot, Can you say something for me?
About Artists:
KHATH Vanna (born in 1982) Secretarial skill At Donbosco Vocational training center for girls for 2 years. completed Bachelor’s degree in Finance and banking at Build Bright University. From the experienced of 12 years of working as a Teaching Assistant, administration at iCAN British International school. Another Part-Time job for UCMAS as Mental Arithmetic. Since 2019 she runs a full-time business on silver jewelry by her own design. Participating in an art photography class at Sa Sa Art Projects is an in-depth exploration of photography as well as contemporary creativity for her.
KHENG Soknet Known as Sokleap (born in 1993) From Kompong cham. He is currently a fourth-year student studying for a TESOL Degree at the Pannasastra University of Cambodia. He is also working for the Canadian International School as Theatre & Production Assistance. Recently, He has completed a media internship at Young Eco Ambassador and completed a Contemporary and Documentary Photography class at Sa Sa Art Projects. He is interested in the environment and photography. Using photos to express his views on current issues between humankind and the environment, therefore reminding people to consider and change their bad habits for the purpose of saving our mother earth from every pollution.
MAO Sovanchandy born in Battambang province in 1999 and was raised in a restricted family and society. Being the eldest and sole daughter is a great challenge for her. She explored and fought in every way to do what she loves and looks for her freedom. She has an enthusiasm for photography. She often likes to experiment with new kinds of conceptual photos that would evoke further discussion and story-telling. With a love and passion for creative works and old architectural buildings, she managed to graduate from Paragon International University with a B.Sc. in Architecture. To expand her understanding of art, she is taking a part-time contemporary art class and English for artists. She is currently a co-founder of WorkBar, a freelance architect, and a photographer.
PHENG Sreysor (born in 1995) is from Takeo province. An alumnus of Social Affairs at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (2013-2017). After graduating from university, she continued to work as a protector of the environment and natural resources for three years. After retiring as an environmentalist in September, she received a scholarship to study in Contemporary and Documentary Photography Class at Sa Sa Art Projects. An image that she recently produced under the theme “voiceless”. For her, the image she created is a portrayal of relationships with social and human stressors. But these pictures are one of the only stress relievers she can relate to.
CHHEN Vannak (born in Siem Reap, in 1993). He graduated from the faculty of Information and technology in 2016 and continues to live, discovers, and works in Phnom Penh City since 2020. Currently, he is working in a Design & Consultant Agency in Phnom Penh. He then has got an opportunity to get a scholarship at Sa Sa Art Projects in Contemporary and Documentary Photography class. Vannak’s interest is to find the feeling of being himself, learning about human rights and gender equality. He wants to transform those feelings and turn them into visual images.
HEAN Rangsey (born in 1994) a farmer’s son from Kratie province. After graduating bachelor degree in Human Resource management in 2017, then he comes to lives and works in Phnom Penh. In daily livelihood he interested in studying, observing humanity, the environment, nature, and society. After 2 years’ experience as a camera assistant and photography and video at Lotus radio, he has become more interested in photography. He is currently working as a photojournalist for Phnom Penh Post. He has studied in Contemporary and Documentary Photography class at Sa Sa Art Projects and created his first artwork related to the connection between humanity and nature.
VENG Bunheng (born in 1995) is from Phnom Penh City. He is graduated with a Bachelor of Creativity Multimedia and Web Design at Norton University. He recently has done an internship at Anti-Archive as a production intern and taken Contemporary and Documentary Photography at Sa Sa Art Projects. He is interested in photography for organizing the memory and the feeling of the subject to the audience.
LUN Nora (born in 1992) is from Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia. Graduated from Royal University of Fine Arts. He is working in an architecture company. He recently finished Contemporary and Documentary at Sa Sa Art Projects. He interested in psychology, the environment, and art.
EN Atithchetha (born in 1993) from Phnom Penh. He currently is a year 4 student at the Institute of New Khmer with a bachelor’s degree in Law. He is a part-time food delivery and hand sanitizer seller. He studied photography at France Institute in 2019. Chetha got a scholarship at Sa Sa Art Projects in Contemporary and Documentary Photography class in 2020. Chetha’s interest in photography could maintain the memory that included happiness, sadness, nostalgia, romantic, and express his own philosophy.
