It sounds surreal but there are two people in Cambodia who speak dragon. They came all the way from Germany to do this and they are Ernst Altmann, an artist from Berlin, and his filmmaker wife Bjela Proßowsky. It all started in their kitchen, which is probably where all the best ideas originate: the idea of going back to Southeast Asia, the land which stole Bjela’s heart when she was a young traveller, to create a comparative artistic project with Cambodians. And so How To Talk To Dragons was born.
With the help of fire-breathing winged things, shadow puppets and a video camera, the artists set out to discover similarities between the Old Continent and Asia – and uncovered a few peculiarities along the way. A test performance of their shadow play JMOM takes place at Meta House on February 8, followed by a bigger event in March involving musicians and other performers. “Ours is a growing exhibition,” Bjela explains. “We want to bring our show around local villages and get people to create and play with us. The work-in-progress itself is the project, which I am filming in all its fascinating process.”
Ernst and Bjela are now combing Phnom Penh, hunting for oil lamps, local tailors to make a special tent, ancient Cambodian myths and examples of the dragon tradition in folk art. At public shadow puppet plays, they have been thrilled by the enthusiasm of Cambodian children, who play with the silhouettes on Ernst’s t-shirt. “Shadows are magic,” says Ernst. “Videos and films are fast and they suck you in, but the time frame of this art is slow. While playing and cutting them, I go back to childhood, losing myself in the moment. Through this project we want to gain back time and encourage people to go slow again.”
The couple chose dragons as their theme because the creatures exist in every culture, connecting the whole of humankind. Moreover, legend has it that the lands of the Khmer originated from the Naga, a water dragon, something Cambodia’s sense of identity is still strongly connected to. While some youngsters scoff, dismissing winged fire-breathers as the stuff of childish fantasy, Ernst noticed they exhibit a certain shyness towards – almost a fear of – these fantastical beings, especially when talking about Neak Ta, a guardian spirit. Somehow, even under the surface, Cambodians still identify with it.
“The dragon is the symbol of power of nature,” says Ernst. “It’s the human connection to his natural state. Europeans killed this bond, but in Cambodia it’s different. It’s a moment to say: ‘Hey, don’t forget that this is your power. It’s great that you have it. Don’t lose it.’” In an era that is increasingly becoming a crazy rush against everything – time, nature, ourselves – perhaps we should pause for a moment and pay heed to our ancestors. We might even rediscover how to speak dragon.
WHO: Artist Ernst Altmann and filmmaker Bjela Proßowsky
WHAT: How To Talk To Dragons exhibition and JMOM shadow play performance
WHERE: Meta House, #37 Sothearos Blvd.
WHEN: 7pm February 8
WHY: “I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?” – John Lennon
Great article !