Denise A. Scott TO HARNESS HOPE
Contemporary art inbetween two worlds: “Global hybrid 1+2” opens at meta house
Contemporary art inbetween two worlds: “Global hybrid 1+2” opens at meta house
As part of Global Hybrid’s ongoing collaboration with Meta House (#37, Sothearos Blvd.), the American artist and curator Denise Scott is opening the exhibition “Global Hybrid: 1+2” on Thursday, 14th July, 6PM
Denise A. Scott: “Linking Cambodian and US based artists was initially conceptualized in 2008, with yearly exhibitions in Phnom Penh and sister city, Long Beach (Cambodia Town), CA. Our opening exhibition, “Transformation I” represented five Cambodian artists and five Los Angeles-based artists focusing on installation art at Meta House. Although I knew about 10-15 Cambodian artists at that time, I questioned, “Who are the Cambodian American artists?” Living in Long Beach, with a 60,000 Cambodian-American population, there must be at least several 1st generation artists. Upon meeting, Sayon Syprasoeuth, who is originally from Sisophon, sparked our search for contemporary Cambodian American artists in the states.
By April 2009, “Transformation II” was hosted at 2nd City Art Council & Performance Space in Long Beach, which expanded its forum to include not only visual artists, but Cambodian/American Art Documentaries - i.e. John Pirozzi’s film on Dengue Fever’s return in “Sleepwalking through the Mekong” film, and Book Talks by five noted Cambodian-American writers. In addition, Kchao Touch, Battambang artist, was our 1st Artist in Residency for one month in Long Beach.
By July 2009 exhibition at Meta House in Phnom Penh, we adopted Global Hybrid, to emphasize out venture, thus GH: 1 welcomed exhibiting artists: Sopheap Pich, Em Riem, Vollak Kong, Tom Tor, Ratha Han, Sayon Syprasoueth and more to the exhibition in which 5 of 8 Cambodian-American artists returned to Phnom Penh to meet personally and promote an open dialogue with the Cambodian artists.
April 2010 in Long Beach sparked another growth in Global Hybrid, hosted at Hancock University, a 650 square meter gallery, 9 Cambodian, 10 Korean, and 12 US based artists exhibited. Our 3 month artist in residency, Meas Sokhorn, in part was supported by the U.S. Embassy in PP and Denise A. Scott, produced a 7,000 chopstick sculpture, which is currently on loan at the university. July 2010 exhibition,”GH: 60th Anniversary of US and Cambodian Relations” at Meta House, marked another successful venture, works by Amy Sanford, Aragna Ker, Phuong Huynh, Linda Saphan and many more.
This year’s Global Hybrid artists’ rooster welcomes: Anida Yoeu Ali & Masahiro Sugano (Studio Revolt), Chhan Nawath, Brian Doan, Gina Han, UuDam Nguyen, Phe Sophon, Denise A. Scott (GH Curator), Soun Seney, and Sayon Syprasoeuth (GH Exhibition Coordinator). GH: 1+2 reflects these associations and the artists’ works which speak to one another and possess a visual language understandable to all. It inspires us to contemplate and to question the perceptions of pathos in our common situations. The Karma of the bitter and sweet emerges...
Anida Yoeu Ali & Masahiro Sugano (Studio Revolt) videos juxtaposes from the racial profiling and hate crimes post 9/11 in “1700% Project: Mistaken for Muslim” to the reincarnation and transmigration performance documentation in “The Buddhist Bug Project”. Unveiling the mask reality of the poor children in the village, becomes Chhan Nawath’s theme in his upcoming series of photographs, “The Grandson of Who I Am”. While Brian Doan’s “Being Them” photographs portray re-contextualized iconic individuals.
Based on the East Asia Pop Culture, Gina Han’s 10 panel acrylic painting installation “Safa 3” unfolds the dichotomous ideals of cuteness and violence simultaneously. UuDam Nguyen’s “World Condom Project” photographs extend the symbolic Hindu and Buddhist “Linga” to explore the issues of power between people and states and among individuals.
As discarded building materials of plastic bottles become the main recyclable element, Phe Sophon’s provocative bulbous sculpture emphasizes the economic use of our resources. While, Denise A. Scott’s large scale charcoal and conte drawings “To Harness Hope” focus on the intangible thoughts, feelings, and fears that are captured within a yoke- to guide, yet a burden.
Painting directly from his experience with working with street children, Soun Seney’s “Ample”, “Endure”, “Rapid” and “Ponder” unfold their economic hardships to survive. Sayon Syprasoueth’s mixed media shimmering “Netted” expresses the torrent of migration of the embedment, complexity and tragedy; then, with its aftermath to recovery, healing, hope and rebirth.”
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