Revival

GUEST CURATORS: Kim Hak and Neak Sophal

Curator’s Note

The end of Vietnam war in the 70s, war had been extended on Cambodian land with the drop of B52 bombs by American Air Force, the unrest situation in the country during Lon Nol in 1970 to 1979 and the country had been under control of Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. We have seen a lot of photographs which covered the unrest situation and darkness of Cambodian history by foreigners. I have been always questioned: “Were there Cambodian photographers to cover the news?” And who are they? Some of them still survived?

This is still on our research …

I was born after the fall of Khmer Rouge regime in the period of lost, revival, and rebuilt. Here, Neak Sophal and myself, we prefer not to call it a curation, but the appreciation of looking at Cambodian photographers in the last four decades who have been using photography as form/ voice to express point of views to talk about different issues in this society.

Some works are completed, some works are ongoing, and some works are experimental.

– Kim Hak, 2018

Biography

Kim HAK

Cambodia

KIM HAK’s work brings together storytelling and artistic aesthetic. Hak has focused on several themes including survivor stories, the funeral of King Sihanouk, architectural documentations and also the changing landscape of his homeland. His work has been featured at many art and photography festivals and exhibited in Europe and all across Asia. In 2011, he won prize “Residency Program” of Musée du Quai Branly, Paris and second prize of Stream Photo Asia in Bangkok.
www.kimhak.com

Sophal NEAK

Cambodia

NEAK SOPHAL is a conceptual photographer and considered as one of the emerging talents of the Cambodian art scene. Her works highlight social issues and specificities of the Cambodian culture, with a strong focus on the stories and memories of her models. Trained as a graphic designer at the Phnom Penh Royal University for the Arts, she always prepares the composition of her photographs by asking the model to pose, sometimes with specific objects.
www.sophalneak.com