On April 17, 1975, soldiers from the Khmer Rouge entered Phnom Penh and, within three days, emptied the city of its 1.5 million inhabitants. It would take until the mid-1990s for Phnom Penh to get back on its feet. Today, the city is in radical, anarchical transformation, with real estate speculation, corruption, uncontrolled development, the demolishment of its architectural heritage and massive buildings being erected. It might be losing its identity, but it seems to be catching up to “modernity” at a staggering speed. This is the background out of which a fertile art scene has grown. The scene is unique and innovative, with marked features difficult to fit into other international trends. Photography, along with dance and film, is one of the richest and most creative domains on this new Cambodian scene. Encouraged by the Photo Phnom Penh festival, celebrating its tenth year, the youth have started to express themselves as a means of analyzing, critiquing and attempting to better understand their country’s situation, and look toward the future.
Christian Caujolle


Mak Remissa (1970), Sorn Seyhaktit, Dit Ti Tit (1991), Lim Sokchanlina (1991), Neak Sophal (1989), Philong Sovan (1986)