Rubber Man
2014 - Film & Video (Film & Video)
8:31 minutes
Khvay Samnang
The video Rubber Man continues exploring issues related to land use, also noticeable in his Untitled series (2011). More specifically, Rubber Man addresses the French colonial legacy of land use for the exploitation of rubber –today exploited by multiple forces such as individuals, governments, multinationals and international banks– and its effects on Cambodia’s indigenous forests and culture today. The video takes place in Ratanakiri, an area in northeastern Cambodia increasingly known in local and international news for land grabs and protests, and where the artist frequently traveled to over two years. In the video, the artist appears as wandering around the crops as if lost, punctually pouring fresh liquid rubber over his body, and wondering if the ancestor spirits and indigenous communities who heavily rely on each other to subsist will continue to live.
Khvay Samnang’s work critically examines the interlocking nature of ritual and politics, the humanitarian and ecological impacts of globalization, colonialism and migration, and the cultural-material histories of exchange that have shaped the Southeast Asia region. Working in performance, film and video, photography, sculpture and installation, his research-based practice draws heavily upon traditional cultural rites, dance choreography, spiritual iconography, and methods of critical remapping. Frequently collaborating with local communities or other artists, Khvay is a founding member of Stiev Selapak, an art collective dedicated to reappraising and commemorating Cambodian history and resuscitating visual practices disrupted by civil war and the Khmer Rouge regime, and has exhibited a diverse body of work that deals explicitly with issues of environmental degradation, extraction of natural resources, and the suppression of the rights of Indigenous communities. Hearsay, intuition, direct exchanges with people, and a belief in dreams and premonition often prompt Khvay Samnang who then follows stories he believes require intervention. Approaching what he considers to be universal themes through the Cambodian context, his works deal with unknown yet important events or current contentious social issues for his surrounding community. In his works spanning photography, video, sculpture and performance, the artist frequently uses simple and playful gestures as visual language to shade new lights onto of historical and cultural events and a means for resisting to the polarizing language of dominant media and legal powers covering the issues.
Colors:
Related works sharing similar palette
© » SLASH PARIS
Météo des forêts — La MABA — Exhibition — Slash Paris Login Newsletter Twitter Facebook Météo des forêts — La MABA — Exhibition — Slash Paris English Français Home Events Artists Venues Magazine Videos Back Météo des forêts Exhibition Film, installation, mixed media Upcoming Julien Prévieux et Virginie Yassef, L’Arbre, 2009 — Image : Élie Godard Film Super 8 transféré sur DVD — 7 min 18 — Ed 4 + 2 Courtesy des artistes Météo des forêts In about 1 month: January 18 → April 7, 2024 La MABA présente, du 18 janvier au 7 avril 2024, Météo des forêts : une exposition collective réunissant des travaux d’artistes de diverses générations travaillant différents médiums (dessin, photographie, vidéo, sculpture, installation…)...
© » KADIST
Lin Yilin
Golden Bridge is part of “Golden Journey”, a series of site-specific performances and installations created during Lin’s residency at Kadist San Francisco...
© » SLASH PARIS
Françoise Pétrovitch — Dans mes mains — Semiose Gallery — Exhibition — Slash Paris Login Newsletter Twitter Facebook Françoise Pétrovitch — Dans mes mains — Semiose Gallery — Exhibition — Slash Paris English Français Home Events Artists Venues Magazine Videos Back Françoise Pétrovitch — Dans mes mains Exhibition Drawing, painting Upcoming Françoise Pétrovitch Courtesy de l’artiste & Semiose, Paris Françoise Pétrovitch Dans mes mains In about 1 month: January 13 → March 9, 2024 Françoise Pétrovitch’s upcoming exhibition at Semiose is centered around an imposing bronze sculpture entitled Dans mes mains (In My Hands)...
© » KADIST
Tarek Atoui
2017For The Reverse Sessions , the artist reversed the order in which instruments are usually created, taking the sounds of a collection of ethnic musical instruments from The Dahlem Museum as the starting point...
© » ARTS EQUATOR
The working processes of artists: Grace Lee-Khoo | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia ArtsEquator Viewpoints July 7, 2020 Applied theatre practitioner Grace Lee-Khoo shares about the work of disability-led arts company Access Path Productions, which she founded in 2018...
© » ARTS EQUATOR
Makassar Biennale: Gagasan Literasi Warga dan Pertanyaan Artistik Yang Abadi | ArtsEquator Skip to content Wilda Yanti Salam berbagi pandangan orang dalam tentang upaya berkelanjutan Makassar Biennale untuk membongkar konvensi penyelenggaraan biennale pada biennale pertama di Indonesia bagian timur...
© » KADIST
Michael Armitage
2015In “And so it is” shows the image of a faceless man before a microphone, ready to deliver an important message...
© » HYPERALLERGIC
Nani Chacon Finds the Essence of Home Skip to content Nani Chacon, "I Miss You…" (2023), graphite and acrylic on polytab, 102 x 140 inches (all photos by ofstudio, courtesy Timothy Hawkinson Gallery) LOS ANGELES — “[Nani Chacon] addresses how a secure home is essential.” This the phrase, from the press release for Chacon’s exhibition + Home+ at Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, forced me to pause...
© » KADIST
Neïl Beloufa
2021The short video Inside the Studio by Neïl Beloufa follows a humorous Toy Story -esque conversation between the artworks inside the artist’s studio...
© » LE MONDE
Le tatouage, un terrain de jeu artistique Cet article vous est offert Pour lire gratuitement cet article réservé aux abonnés, connectez-vous Se connecter Vous n'êtes pas inscrit sur Le Monde ? Inscrivez-vous gratuitement Article réservé aux abonnés Des œuvres d’Ouriel Zéboulon exposées lors du vernissage de l’exposition « Faire Fair 2 », à l’espace 3537, à Paris, en avril 2023...
© » SLASH PARIS
Kim Tschang-Yeul — Disparitions — Galerie Almine Rech, Matignon — Exposition — Slash Paris Connexion Newsletter Twitter Facebook Kim Tschang-Yeul — Disparitions — Galerie Almine Rech, Matignon — Exposition — Slash Paris Français English Accueil Événements Artistes Lieux Magazine Vidéos Retour Kim Tschang-Yeul — Disparitions Exposition Peinture Vue de l’exposition Kim Tschang-Yeul, Disparitions à la galerie Almine Rech, Paris Courtesy of the artist & Galerie Almine Rech, Paris Kim Tschang-Yeul Disparitions Encore 11 jours : 18 novembre → 22 décembre 2023 C’est à la lumière du crépuscule, en aspergeant d’eau l’une de ses toiles, que la goutte s’est révélée à Kim Tschang-Yeul, alors âgé de 42 ans...
