Art Gallery on Culture and Environment Opens to Public
Art Gallery on Culture and Environment Opens to Public
Art Gallery on Culture and Environment Opens to Public
The concept of culture conservation, keeping an environment clean, and people living in society are reflected in an open-air art gallery in the magnificent park of the French Embassy in Phnom Penh.
Open to the public for free of charge today, from 8 am to 4 pm, the outdoor exhibition is displaying the original works by nine renowned Cambodian and French contemporary artists, focusing on the culture and environment using old-age materials.
The official opening ceremony was held on Mar. 6 in the presence of Ms. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts and French Ambassador to Cambodia Ms. Eva Nguyen Binh.
All the artists, including Chim Vichet Ouk, Gregory Gosselin, Monisilong Riem, Remissa Mak, Seckon Leang, Srey Bandaul, Sokhorn Meas, Sopheap Pich and Veasna Tith, have specifically designed their pieces of art to allow the public to wander in an exceptional natural environment.
Mr. Guillaume Narsollet, Advisor to the French Embassy, said in the function that the public can wander in the campus of the embassy to discover the incredible open art gallery focusing mainly on environment, culture, by using daily-used materials for installation arts.
“The French Embassy wants to showcase Khmer arts in the magnificent park which is the historical park of the relationship between Cambodia and France,” he said. “The exhibition is to allow artists to present their incredible works to the public.”
Mr. Srey Bandaul, one of the artists offering fabric-covered status of Vishnu, said that his works are to reflect the daily life of people in the society.
“I choose to display the sculpture of Vishnu and Asora (Yeak – giant) in order to show the culture of faith of people and it also reflects the daily life of people committing good things and bad things in society,” Mr. Bandaul said.
The exhibition runs for a month-long till April 6. But the free entry is only for today. For the rest of the one-month period, visitors are required to register in advance.
Phnom Penh resident Mr. Yem En shared his insight over the outdoor exhibition stressing that it gives people the concept of love for the environment and collaboration to keep it clean.
“What I learn from the exhibition is the concept of keeping the environment clean. One of the works attracting my attention is the rubbish-eating boat which shows us the concept of collecting rubbish in the river,” Mr. Yem En, who visited such an open art gallery for the second time.
The concept of the outdoor exhibition is to show the public the solidarity of living in the society, underlined Mr. Yem En, accompanied by his wife at the exhibition.
Ms. Lida, a student at the Royal University of Phnom Penh majoring in business management, said the open art gallery shows off the incredible cultural arts of Cambodia.
“It impressed me a lot. The exhibition in the French Embassy is considered as conservation of culture through the art gallery. It allows the public to discover the arts that are rarely seen,” said Ms. Lida who came to the exhibition with a few friends.
This is the second of its kind for such a great outdoor exhibition organized in the park of the French Embassy in Phnom Penh. The first exhibition, held in 2018, attracted some 3,000 visitors. AKP
