‘The Scale of Angkor’ inspires wonder at Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap (Cambodia)
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‘The Scale of Angkor’ inspires wonder at Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap (Cambodia)
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Category: Asia Pacific - Cambodia
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2011-05-05
Dual show celebrates enduring influence of Angkor on contemporary Khmer culture
Opening on 5 May 2011, the latest exhibition at Siem Reap’s hottest gallery, The Arts Lounge, located at the iconic Hôtel de la Paix, pays homage to Angkor - the awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Site of temple complexes dating back to the ancient Khmer Empire of the ninth to the 13th centuries. ‘The Scale of Angkor’ offers unique perspectives on both the vastness and grandeur of the architectural vision, and the intricacy and artistry to be found in even the smallest details therein, bringing together the works of one of the few old masters to have survived the Khmer Rouge regime with those of one of the bright young artists of the burgeoning Cambodian art scene. The Scale of Angkor offers a fascinating insight into the enduring influence of Angkor on Khmer artists.
Born in Phnom Penh in 1984, CHAN Dany graduated from the capital’s Reyum Art School before continuing in Reyum’s experimental workshop program, which concluded with the 2007 exhibition In Transition. Dany has subsequently been selected for numerous international exhibitions, from Vienna to Hong Kong and Shanghai.
An important figurehead in Cambodia’s cultural legacy, DY Proeung graduated from the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh in 1960 before working for the Angkor Conservation and EFEO, where he began drawing architectural floor plans and elevations for the Angkor Wat, Ta Keo, Banteay Srey and Bayon Temples. After living and working as a farmer during the Khmer Rouge regime, Proeung spent six years painstakingly reproducing miniature sculptures of Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Keo and Banteay Srey Temples – the first of which was subsequently given to King Sihanouk as a birthday present in 1995. Proeung was also given the Pisnuka award by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in recognition of his achievements, and has spent the past 17 years teaching a new generation of Cambodian artists at his Sihanouk Reach Art and Craft School in Rolous.
From 5 May – 5 July 2011, The Scale of Angkor will transform the Arts Lounge, with DY Proeung’s miniature model of the Banteay Srey temple as the centrepiece, surrounded by four pairs of ‘guardians’. By contrast, Proeung’s enlarged interpretations of ancient anthropomorphic ceramics will also be displayed, together with some unique historical artefacts from his own dramatic past; including the book he buried to protect himself from the Khmer Rouge regime, and photographs of him receiving the Pisnuka award from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.
The works of this hugely respected old master will be complimented by a series of nine contemporary works by CHAN Dany, inspired by the smaller Kbach Pong Trey motif typically found carved into Angkorian temple walls and created with pencil shavings on paper and wood.
Located in the centre of Siem Reap, close to the cultural and historic heart of Cambodia, every aspect of style and service at Hôtel de la Paix is informed by Khmer culture, from seasonally inspired local cuisine at signature restaurant Meric, to Spa Indochine’s traditional treatments using local herbs and flowers. Committed to nurturing the burgeoning Cambodian art scene, the Arts Lounge is the cultural and social heart beat of the hotel, offering an ever-changing exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the rich heritage of Khmer culture and offering a living laboratory for its creative future.
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