UMMA to Open Exhibition Exploring Innovations and Turning Points in Cambodia’s Art Through 80 Historic and Contemporary Works

“Like Angkor Wat’s bullet-ridden walls, contemporary artworks from Cambodia and its diaspora bear the scars of a genocide and of related upheavals. They also allow us to critically appreciate the artistic strategies that evolved in response to significant generational trauma and to consider many of today’s global crises through the distinct lens of the Cambodian experience,” said Chanchani. “In Cambodia, sacred sculptures and edifices have long been acknowledged and experienced by walking around them in a clockwise circle. This rite is called circumambulation, and I invite audiences to the exhibition to experience the installation and the featured objects in the same way.”

Angkor Complex is organized in three thematic sections. The first, “Empire, Colony, and Nation,” explores the transformation of the region in the Mekong Basin, which straddles parts of present-day Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, from a flourishing empire, to a settled colony, and to the established nation of Cambodia. Among the highlights in the section are an ink rubbing of a relief on Angkor Wat’s walls that plausibly portrays Suryavarman II, Builder of Angkor Wat, Seated in Majesty; a bronze Ritual conch with stand (12th-13th century), used in Vajrayana Buddhist rituals that empowered individuals who performed daring actions to escape from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth; Full Circle (2024), a sculptural installation by contemporary artist Amy Lee Sanford that grapples with her familial history, Cambodia’s collective losses, and the laborious tasks of reconstructing shattered lives and cultures; and artist Pete Pin’s photograph Shorty, 28, shows his Killing Fields tattoo, Philadelphia, PA (2011), which shows how the violence of the Cambodian genocide still flickers within descendants of survivors, even when physically removed from the trauma. Shorty and Pin are linked, and their histories spread to distant places like Philadelphia, which grapples with its own city violence. While this pain lingers, Shorty shows off his tattoo featuring Angkor Wat’s spires, the Philadelphia skyline, and the words ‘Killing Fields’ with balled fists suggesting a will to resist further oppression.

The second section, titled “Inheritance of Loss,” further examines the cycles and impacts of trauma caused by colonialism, invasion, enslavement, and migration in Cambodia—much of which has rarely been addressed in official courts of law. It includes a set of nine photographs by Vandy Rattana, titled Bomb Ponds (2009). In this acclaimed series, the artist draws attention to the history and legacy of U.S. military interventions in Cambodia (1969–73) during the Vietnam War (1955–75). The seemingly serene ponds of water amid fertile vegetation are in fact craters in chemical-strewn fields caused by over two million tons of secret American bombs. Also featured in the section are a poem by Sarith Peou, titled Scars, which addresses the mutilation of life during the civil war and Khmer Rouge years; and Sopheap Pich’s Seated Buddha – Abhaya Mudra (2012), which articulates only the shell of the Buddha’s body. As the sculpture oscillates between presence and absence, immanence and transcendence, it queries Buddhist notions of reincarnation, impermanence, and ultimate liberation.

The final section of Angkor Complex is “On Reparation,” which explores the theft of sacred objects from Cambodia and the slow process of repatriation. Artist Leang Seckon’s mixed media work on canvas, titled Journey Crossing the Border (2016), offers a meditation on the loss of Cambodia’s cultural patrimony to the international art market and the perils sculptures face crossing borders. The section also includes an example of a Guardian Lion (from possibly the 12th century). The perimeters of Angkor Wat and other Cambodian temples are dotted with small and large sandstone sculptures of lions. Since the 19th century, these lions have fascinated Western travelers, and many sculptures were removed from their original contexts to be displayed in public and private collections. The Western obsession with these sculptures has also led to the production of replicas, sometimes making it difficult to determine whether objects are originals or more recent facsimiles.

“Angkor Complex provides a singular opportunity to engage with turning points in the distinct cultural and political history of Cambodia and the surrounding regions through an incredible range of objects. The works in the exhibition reflect both the ingenuity of historic makers and the depth and breadth of contemporary production by Cambodian and diasporic artists,” said Christina Olsen, UMMA’s Director. “At the same time, the exhibition invites consideration of today’s broader cultural, social, and political happenings and fosters dialogue about the lessons that can be taken from the pain and resilience of the Cambodian people.”