By Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
'The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT8)
Khvay
Samnang (Cambodia b.1982) is a founding member of the first Cambodian contemporary
artist collective, Stiev Selapak / Art Rebels, who established the first
dedicated exhibition spaces for contemporary art in Cambodia. His works carry
strong social and political messages which he acts out. Using his own body to
interact with his surroundings and connect with places and communities, he exposes
social issues that have emerged in Cambodia from practices such as land
acquisition and private development.
Rubber man (2014) by Khvay SamnangQueensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Khvay Samnang made several trips to the rubber plantations of Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia’s remote northeast. The Rubber Man photographs explore the rubber industry’s effect on the local environment and indigenous communities.
Rubber man (2014) by Khvay SamnangQueensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
The artist is shown pouring a bucket of white rubber sap over his face and naked body, obscuring his features and masking his identity.
Rubber man (2014) by Khvay SamnangQueensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Rubber Man alludes to the ongoing establishment of vast, foreign-owned rubber plantations, displacing villagers and destroying communities and places of spiritual significance in Ratanakiri Province.
Since 1993, The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) has been the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art's flagship contemporary art series. APT has driven the Gallery's focus on the region and enabled the development of one of the world's most significant collections of contemporary Asian, Pacific and Australian art.
'The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT8)
21 November 2015 – 10 April 2016
©QAGOMA
