Phnomkyo

By Douglas Seok

Cambodia, Japan | No dialogue | 2017 | 7 min 45 sec | G

Singapore Premiere

A young artist who conserves ancient Khmer sculptures in modern-day Phnom Penh journeys to Tokyo with her own works.

The film was inspired by the collection at the National Museum of Cambodia, as well as the work of contemporary Cambodian artist Kanitha Tith during her artist residency in Japan. There, she makes hand-woven steel wire sculptures that resemble artefacts, which also resist easy classification as they are made from industrial material and forms that lie between the figurative and the abstract. In Phnomkyo, artistic renewal flows from the co-existence of tradition and modernity within the consciousness of the artist.