A recording of the event is available to watch on the CKS Facebook Page!
Abstract
Modern Cambodia has parallel histories. One is the constant stream of adventurers and diplomats, kings and rebels, archaeologists and artists drawn to the magnificent Angkor temple ruins. The other is the country’s struggles to modernize through colonialism, independence, civil war, revolution, famine, and, finally, the road to recovery. Regardless of the historical path, photographers have been there to record events.
Photography in Cambodia is a treasure trove of more than 340 photographs sourced from international archives, libraries, galleries, and unseen private collections. The photographs and accompanying texts give a fresh perspective on Cambodia’s emergence into its uneasy twenty-first-century peace.
There are photographs taken by both foreign visitors to the country—early explorers, travelers, photojournalists, the colonial elite, and tourists—and photographs taken by Cambodians themselves of their everyday lives, all of which capture the essence of Cambodia’s journey.
This presentation is a mini performance, followed by a talk on Mr. Coffill’s research direction in amassing a huge array of photographs to build his book. There will be a Q&A, book give away and special discount. The author will be available to sign book copies, and a limited-edition postcard from the book will be available for guests.
Speaker
Mr. Nicholas Coffill is a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in stage design. The Australian Nicholas Coffill has global experience as an exhibition designer and museum planner working in Sydney, London, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Amsterdam. He moved to Cambodia 15 years ago to create Bambu Stage, the first TED-like live media theatre in the country. ‘SNAP! 150 Years of Photography in Cambodia’ was a successful weekly show that ran for three years. In 2019, Coffill decided to research and design a book as a memory of that show’s success.
Moderator
Ms. Samedy Suong, CKS Deputy Director