THURSDAY 13 | Twenty-five artists, more than 100 works and one proud quality tag: Made In Battambang is the first exhibition uniting visual artists from this city of exceptional creative energy. “Many people wonder why this place is so artistically prolific and I think that it’s simply in the air,” says curator Alain Troulet. “All the artists of this exhibition are very proud to represent it, putting aside their natural jealousies and rivalries.” Last year, New York hosted the living art festival Season Of Cambodia, but failed to invite a single Battambang-based artist. “The festival wanted to depict the artistic panorama of Cambodia, but what about all the great artists from Battambang? With this exhibition they are saying: ‘OK, now we would like to show who we are,’” explains Troulet. Most of the paintings express disquietudes, through strong images and contrasting colours. An example is Tor Vutha’s Prisoner, whose racking scream seems to perforate the obscure silence of the canvas. The subconscious desire to overcome the pain caused by historic atrocities leads to purification and a proactive young energy hungry to conquer the world. Other artworks express social criticism, like Ot Veasna’s grotesque character Lok Coca, which calls to mind the New Objectivity movement or Mao Soviet’s We Should Know Who Is Corrupt. This last work seems dream-like, but on closer view turns into a nightmare: empty mask-like faces and convulsive, sick forms writhe in a spectral gut. Youhave been warned.
WHO: The best of Battambang’s artists
WHAT: Made In Battambang exhibition
WHERE: Institut francais du Cambodge, #218 Street 184
WHEN: From 6:30pm February 13 until March 25
WHY: Home is where the art is