Greetings:
Tomorrow, Wednesday 20, the third year anniversary meeting of the Literati Society of Phnom Penh, with a range of readers on a variety of subjects, at Villa Grange, St 244. From 7 pm.
The fourth edition of the Kampot Readers & Writers Festival commences Thursday 21, 4 pm at Java Bleu then from 7 pm at KAMA. “Launched in 2015, the Kampot Readers & Writers Festival brings four days of literary discussions, poetry readings, art exhibitions, concerts and creative workshops to Kampot each November.”
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As part of the Arts4Peace Festival, on Thursday 21 at 6.30 pm, Friday 22 at 6 pm and Saturday 23 at 2.30 pm at Chaktomuk Theatre, performances of Bangsokol: A Requiem for Cambodia, “a multi-disciplinary stage production combining music, film, movement and voice. Him Sophy’s composition embraces musical traditions from both Cambodia and the West, while Rithy Panh’s poetic visuals tell the story of Cambodia’s tragedy. Bangsokol hopes to serve as an inspiration for post-conflict societies around the world – to rebuild, transmit and innovate through arts. It offers a space for healing for those who have suffered violent conflict and forced migration, and honors those who have passed away.”
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Thursday 21, 9 pm at Meta House, WIRED, a monthly event of sound and visual experiments featuring Coldcat. “Join our community of artists and learn, create and play with us with sound devices, video processors and more. An Audio Visual setup at Meta House, a platform where you can get a better understanding of sound design, synthesis and video manipulation.”
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On Saturdays until the end of the year, Meta House is offering a six-week series of children’s art workshops – at 11 am for 5 – 9 year olds and 1.30 pm for 10 – 16 year olds.
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Saturday 23, 5 pm at Bophana Center, a screening of Preah Thong and Neang Neak, a filmed performance of a dance choreographed by Princess Norodom Buppha Devi and performed on stage by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia at Chaktomuk Theatre.
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Also Saturday 23, 5 pm at Meta House, in celebration of Virtual Reality Day, the opening of Cambodia’s first live VR painting demo and collaborative art exhibition as part of Svay Sanuch’s Paint4Peace initiative. “A live Tilt Brush painting performance incorporating virtual and mixed reality will be presented by Mr. Svay, together with select members of the audience.”
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The 10th annual Phnom Penh Photo Festival continues at multiple locations, including Bophana Center and Futures Factory. “An important intercultural exchange between European and Asian photographers, Photo Phnom Penh remains the major photography rendez-vous in South-East Asia.”
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In Siem Reap, the new Tribe Art Cambodia gallery at FCC Angkor continues activities to mark its launch – every week Thursdays – Saturdays for the rest of November. From 7 pm.
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Every Monday, from 7.30 pm, Drink and Draw at Cloud – $4 for two hours with a life model in multiple poses.
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Every Monday, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm, Drink and Draw at La Kh’Mère Poulart, Siem Reap.
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Registrations are now open for Brighton Stage Term 2 performing and theatre arts classes for children 4 – 16 years old.
Coming soon:
- Enemies of Reason, a photographic exhibition by Thomas Wunsch, at Meta House on November 26, with artist talk on November 27.
- Our Village by documentary photographer Roun Ry at Mirage Contemporary Art Space in Siem Reap, opening November 29 for their third anniversary.
For a more rock’n’roll view of Phnom Penh and the wider Cambodian music scene, please check out our sister publication lengpleng.com, the long running live music gig guide.
Note: we are now accepting donations for the on-going work of Kumnooh, which can be made either via payment to fabianhipp@kumnooh.com at Paypal, or alternatively in cash which can be arranged by emailing to the same address. Your small contributions will help continue our free and advertising free service into the great, wide future of contemporary arts in Cambodia.
Are we missing something? Let us know at fabianhipp@kumnooh.com.
See you about…
Fabian Hipp
Kumnooh
fabianhipp@kumnooh.com
In brief: new and returning…
The 10th annual Phnom Penh Photo Festival continues at multiple locations, including Bophana Center and Futures Factory.
More info
Wednesday 20, 7 pm at Villa Grange, the third year anniversary meeting of the Literati Society of Phnom Penh.
Wednesday 20 – Saturday 23, the fourth edition of the Kampot Readers & Writers Festival.
More info
Thursday 21 at 6.30 pm, Friday 22 at 6 pm and Saturday 23 at 2.30 pm at Chaktomuk Theatre, performances of Bangsokol: A Requiem for Cambodia.
More info
Thursday 21, 9 pm at Meta House, WIRED, a monthly event of sound and visual experiments featuring Coldcat.
More info
Saturdays until the end of the year at Meta House, a series of children’s art workshops
More info
Saturday 23, 5 pm at Bophana Center, a screening of Preah Thong and Neang Neak, a filmed performance of a dance choreographed by Princess Norodom Buppha Devi.
More info
Saturday 23, 5 pm at Meta House, in celebration of Virtual Reality Day, the opening of Cambodia’s first live VR painting demo and collaborative art exhibition as part of Svay Sanuch’s Paint4Peace initiative.
More info
In Siem Reap, the new Tribe Art Cambodia gallery at FCC Angkor continues activities to mark its launch – every week Thursdays – Saturdays for the rest of November. From 7 pm.
More info
Monday 25, from 7.30 pm, Drink and Draw at Cloud – $4 for two hours with a life model in multiple poses.
More info
Monday 25, 7.30 pm to 9.30 pm, Drink and Draw at La Kh’Mère Poulart, Siem Reap.
More info
Ongoing…. exhibitions, dance performances and others
Exhibitions:
Arts4Peace Festival: Unsung Heroes, an art installation by TAN Vatey, Sinta WIBOWO and TAN Sokharin; Hidden Dancer, a presentation of Cambodian classical dance through archival footage filmed from the 1890s until today; and 25 Cambodian Contemporary Photographers, curated by Christian CAUJOLLE in partnership with PPP 2019. The first two exhibitions will transfer to Chaktomuk Theatre for 21-23 November, while the third will show through until 30 November at Sisowath High School. This is only a small part of the wideranging festival – concerts, dance, opera, discussions and workshops – with events on offer through until Sunday 24.
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At Bong Bong Bong on St 240 ½ on Saturday 16, from 7 pm, New Tradition, the first Cambodian exhibition of Bangkok-based illustrator Nut Praditsilp, aka Nutdub.
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At Bong the Gallery, Dark Matter, an exhibition featuring works by Douglas Victor, textured and abstract paintings on canvas. “Dark matter, a component of the universe whose presence is discerned from its gravitational attraction rather than its luminosity,and we don’t know its nature yet. Currently many experiments around the world are searching for dark matter and we hope that in the near future we will solve the mystery of dark matter and understand its properties.”
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At House of Scott, Standing Rubble, an exhibition by Rena Chheang in collaboration with Limhay Chhum showcasing Phnom Penh in two contrasting points of view: characteristic colonial buildings and complex futuristic representations.
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At Sa Sa Art Projects, Ricefield Mirages, a solo exhibition by Chea Sereyroth. “The role of rice is fundamental to Cambodian culture. From time immemorial, seasonal demands of its cultivation have dominated peoples’ lives, yet nurtured souls. With the perspective of a child brought up in the country tilling rice, before having to leave for studying and working in the city, the artist offers eight artworks.” Until November 27.
At Mirage Contemporary Art Space in Siem Reap, Her Sounds, a multimedia research project and exhibition by photographer Neak Sophal and ethnomusicologist Emily Howe, “celebrating the passion, persistence, and power of Cambodia’s women artists through image, sound, and story.” Until November 25.
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At TRIBE Cambodia in Siem Reap, The Space Between, the debut solo exhibition of linocuts by Morn Chear, presented by Open Studio Cambodia. “Drawn free-hand and then meticulously chiseled, Morn’s images playfully depict everyday scenes from his personal life: his wife washes the laundry by hand, a dog takes a nap in the alley, fish grill on a small barbecue, he rides his motorbike into the distance.”
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At Batia Sarem in Siem Reap, How do I look?, an exhibition of portraits by photographer Sovan Philong “Sovan Philong will show an intense series based on portraits in our gallery in Siem Reap. As in all his works, Philong uses light to renew the portrait genre and therefore the way one can really look at people and reveal their true self.”
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At Java Independence, the exhibition The dead eye and the deep blue sea, featuring artwork from a graphic memoir by Vannak Anan Prum. “The drawings are selected from the book, a graphic novel that tells his incredible story of surviving slavery in the regional fishing and agricultural industries. Vannak is a self-taught artist and his illustrative skills allowed him to gain favor with other people he was forced to live and work with by giving them tattoos. More importantly, thanks to his photographic memory he was able to draw his experiences in detail when he arrived home four years later. At first, he made the drawings to offer proof to his family in the only way he could. Later he decided to share his story publicly, leading to the publication of the graphic novel, further exposing the harsh realities of modern-day slavery.”
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KBach ArtSpace at Factory Phnom Penh, as part of their KBach Arts Competition 2019, are showing finalists in last year’s competition and a judges’ gallery as well as their regular collection.
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At the Kampot Art Gallery, Kampot: The Changing Landscape. “Neak Sophal and Kong Vollak have created a unique exhibition looking at Kampot and the impact of past, present and future.”
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Elegy: Reflections on Angkor by John McDermott. The award-winning American photographer maintains his strong presence on the Siem Reap art scene with his mesmerizing monochromatic fine art images of Angkor taken between 1995-2014. Now exhibiting in two McDermott Galleries located at FCC Angkor and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor.
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Dance:
New Cambodian Artists in Siem Reap present weekly performances of contemporary dance every Saturday.
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Every Thursday and Friday, 6.30 pm at Counterspace Theatre, Java Creative Café Tuol Tom Pong, the dance company Sophiline Arts Ensemble presents performances of Cambodian dance. “Featuring a stellar cast dressed in fanciful costumes, The Lives of Giants is a contemporary meditation on bullying, cycles of violence, and the responsibilities of wielding power.” Tickets $18.
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Saturdays and Sundays, 6.30 pm at Counterspace Theatre, Java Creative Café Tuol Tom Pong, Prumsodun Ok and NATYARASA present performances of Vajramala – Spirit of Khmer Dance. Tickets $25.
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Dance Academy Cambodia has a wide range of dance classes through the week at Urban Tower, 5th Floor, #20 Street 51 (opposite Blue Dog, near The Place).
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The Traditional Dance Show, presented by Cambodian Living Arts, takes place at the National Museum stage. The hour-long performance showcases classical and folk dances from across Cambodia, including the famous Apsara. Every night Monday-Saturday (October-April) and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday (May to September).
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Every Monday Dance Flow, an improvisation and partnering workshop led by Eric Ellul at Nataraj Yoga, #52 St. 302. Donation-based sessions, 6.30 – 8.15 pm.
Other:
The Kok Thlok arts organisation is presenting twice weekly shadow puppet and Khmer theatre performances at the National Library, St 61, every Friday and Sunday at 6.30 pm. Kok Thlok are offering a membership card, with an annual fee of $30, that provides unlimited access (including for family members or two friends) to the rolling programme planned over the next four years to present the 24 forms of traditional theatre.
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N o w h e r e Gallery presents frequent workshops such as Self Portrait Acrylic on Canvas, Bookbinding for beginners and Brush lettering for beginners. Bookings always essential, spaces limited. Mostly Saturdays and Sundays although occasionally midweek.
The theatrical group the Francophone Troupe of Phnom Penh is holding a theatre workshops at 6.30 pm every Wednesday at Restaurant 63 Bassac, on St 308. Sessions are in French but perfect French is not required. $10/session (2 hours).
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Every Saturday at 5 pm, Bophana Center presents Cine Saturday. Programme changes every week, across a wide range of cinema experiences.
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Most Sundays (and occasionally Saturdays) Khmer Architecture Tours presents a range of the architectural wonders of Phnom Penh. 8.30 am start, reservations essential.
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Performing arts courses at Brighton International School (#79 street 310) for ages 4 – 6 and 7 – 11 – singing, dancing, acting, every Saturday.
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Art programmes for children from three years old and up is now underway at Ocarina School led by a certified art teacher, Océane. “Ocarina is the first and only French-speaking activities center offering French standard after-school music and art curriculums for children from 6 months to 17 years old.”
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A weekly gathering on Thursday night at Number 26 Art Shop Gallery on St 118, just off the riverside, 7 pm – 10 pm, with monthly changes of exhibitions, a place to exchange ideas.
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