This photographic retrospective, exhibited previously in FCC Angkor by Avani and Meta House in Phnom Penh in 2020 and Paris in 2022, presents a collection of black and white and color photos taken by David A. Feingold, a research anthropologist and an award-winning documentary filmmaker, over the last six decades in Cambodia. The themes of the photos included war and its impact on the land and people, the on-going impact of landmines on the people and land of Cambodia, the toll they take, and the courage and skill that are needed to remove them. The exhibition also showcased the cultural survival of the Cambodian people, including the beauty and grace of young dancers and their rigorous training; exclusive images inside the Site 2 refugee camp inthe mid-1980s; and young dancers training at the National School of Ballet in Phnom Penh in the 1990s. Additionally, the exhibition covered the return of H.M. King Sihanouk to be King of Cambodia in the 1990s, which witnessed the slow transition from war to peace overseen by the UN and the tensions of secular politics.

While fostering a better understanding and appreciation of Cambodia’s history, culture, and society, the exhibition aimed to showcase the contradictory and complementary elements of Cambodian culture in a historical context.

Organized by Ophidian in collaboration with SEA Junction the Photo Exhibition “Cambodia: War and Beauty” was with a panel discussion on 3rd October 2023, 5:30-7:00 pm at SEA-Junction.

After panel discussion, Cambodian classical dance instructed by Kakada Nim was performed by Teng Pisey, at 3 rd Floor, Bangkok Art and Cultural Center.

Photo credit: Lattapol Jirapathomsakul