AsiaLIFE

Explosive remnants of war (ERWs) are given new purpose in Impact, a new exhibition at Bophana Centre highlighting the destructive force of antipersonnel mines. To mark the ten-year anniversary of the Antipersonnel Mine Ban Treaty and to celebrate the achievements of mine action in Cambodia, Bophana Centre will in October host Impact, a unique “mine action art” exhibition featuring artwork by ten Cambodian artists. In the UNDP-funded project, ten artists were given the opportunity to meet with people living on mined and cleared land, as well as survivors of mine accidents, deminers, and others working in the mine action sector. This is intended  to develop a deeper understanding of the issue from which to create their own artistic interpretations.

“We use a lot of jargon in our sector, so what we wanted to show is the basic principle that clearing landmines equals poverty reduction,” says Alex Hiniker, Communications and Advocacy Officer at UNDP, who played a key role in the project. Though she acknowledges that art is often an abstraction, Alex argues that the pieces in the exhibition in fact capture the essence of mine action. “Each artist wrote an explanation for what they made, which gives the artwork context,” she says. “Also, I think the abstraction helps  It makes people think about the issue more broadly,” she added.

The exhibition will feature paintings and sculptures by the artists, who took part in an application process in order to join the 4-month long project and resulting exhibition. Four young landmine survivors from the Cambodia Landmine Museum in Siem Reap also contributed artwork, produced under guidance by exhibition curator Sasha Constable. Some of the featured artworks were created using ERWs (explosive remnants of war) which organisations involved in de-mining activities donated to the project. “Everyone involved in the sector was really keen to get involved,” Alex says.

Long-term Goal

One of the participating artists, Srey Bandol, has seen the impacts of mines first hand. He and his family left Cambodia in 1979 for the refugee camps along the Thai border, and it was there that the young Bandol had his first contact with mines. “My dad was a soldier, so there were many mines around when I was growing up. I knew many people who died or had mine accidents,” Bandol says. “Then when I returned to Cambodia I worked as a medical soldier in a hospital near Banteay Chmar. We were fighting the Khmer Rouge and there were many mine accidents,” he continues.

When mines were an almost everyday part of Bandol’s life, he says they had little effect on him. “If someone had a mine accident, I would feel normal, not sad,” he says. The psychological impact remains, and the experience of visiting people still living in mined surroundings during the UNDP project had a strong impact on the artist. “I was very sad to see the people, but also happy that many now have cleared land on which to farm,” he says.

Bandol says he wanted to participate in an exhibition on mines in Cambodia ever since he became an artist. “I’m very happy about this exhibition, it’s my goal,” he says. Through his contribution, he wants to create support for a universal ban on antipersonnel mines. “With my painting I want to show not only the effects of mines in Cambodia, but I want to ask why and from where do these mines come from,” he says.

The visual exhibition will be complemented by a soundscape, a collection of sounds recorded during the artists’ field visits. Featuring everything from landmine explosions, through children’s laughter to oinking pigs and mooing cows, the soundscape was put together by Will White of the Propellerheads, a London-based group best known for their hit on the soundtrack for James Bond-flick Tomorrow Never Dies. “The soundscape is another way to bring home the point that this is a real issue affecting real people,” Alex says.

Mines Still an Issue

Though mine accidents and mine-related deaths are falling in Cambodia, Alex notes that mine contamination remains an issue in the Kingdom. In fact, though Cambodia is considered a leader in the field of mine clearance, it will not fulfil the mine ban treaty’s requirement of clearing all contaminated areas within a decade of signing the treaty. Instead, due to the extent of contamination in Cambodia, the government has already submitted an extension request, which will be reviewed at an international mine convention in Colombia in December.

The Impact exhibition will also travel to Colombia, which according to Alex is a great opportunity for both up-and-coming and well known artists in Cambodia to exhibit their art abroad. “The artists involved range from aged  23 to 54. There are very well established artists like Chhim Sothy or Suos Sodavy, as well as couple of really young artists. This is a really good opportunity for them to exhibit in Columbia,” Alex says, adding that she expects the exhibition will travel elsewhere too.

As one of the contributing artists, Srey Bandol is also pleased to see his paintings exhibited further afield. “It’s good for the exhibition to go abroad, because I don’t think people abroad understand what it’s like to live with mines,” Bandol says. He adds that he hopes efforts like this one will make countries eventually stop the production of mines altogether.

For Alex, one of the greatest achievements of the project is the level of co-operation it has achieved between different actors. “Many organisations have shared time or resources to make it happen, so it’s a good example of how the Cambodian Government, UNDP, donors, and mine action non-profits, all working together, can really be successful in addressing the problem of mines,” she concludes.

Impact opened to the general public Oct. 1 and will run until Oct. 10 at Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre, 64 Street 200.