23/02/2025
"Sands Below," a captivating work series by artist Kong Siden, is available for preview until March 02nd! Don't miss the chance to experience it!
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About Sands Below
Sands Below is an ongoing project that explores the pivotal role of sand in Cambodia, uncovering its profound impact on the country’s social, economic, and ecological systems. Through in-depth research, the project presents a multimedia that investigates the delicate balance between natural resources, human activity, and the environment, with a particular focus on the intricate relationships hidden beneath the surface.
The first chapter, Sands Below, examines Boeung Tamok Lake and its transformation shaped by sand and rapid development. Through the off and on site research, the project highlights the destruction of natural resources, the displacement of communities, and the dramatic alteration of the lake’s surface landscape.
In this ongoing exhibition, Siden employs a similar artistic strategy by illuminating the space with rectangular and circular light panels, designed as windows that admit light and metaphorically allow viewers to see into the heart of the project. One segment mirrors the landscape by linking two videos to depict the “before and after” of bulldozer activity powerful machinery used in construction, farming, and land reclamation showcasing found footage of the area’s transformation. Interconnect with animation video, gradually transforming through colors, textures, forms, and shapes. Another video project onto the floor, envisions the potential future of the lake as an experimental reflection.
The installations weave fragmented imagery with actual landscapes. Using found footage and animation, the project critiques the deceptive nature of these transformations, creating a sensory dialogue between what is seen and what is imagined.
About the Artist
Kong Siden (b. 1997, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) is a contemporary artist whose practice spans photography, video installation, and immersive experiences. Previously a communication and publishing coordinator at Sa Sa Art Projects, Siden’s artistic journey is rooted in a profound curiosity about the intersection of humanity and space.
Siden’s work invites viewers into environments that blur the lines between the familiar and the surreal. Through a meticulous blend of observation, interaction, and contemplation, he creates immersive experiences that evoke profound physical and emotional responses. His art is a testament to his relentless pursuit of understanding the complexities of human existence within our shared world.
With a focus on photographs, light, moving images, sound, and space, Siden constructs works that challenge perceptions and awaken new layers of consciousness. He meticulously crafts environments where light and shadow dance across surfaces, creating a sense of mystery and intrigue. Sound becomes an integral element, weaving through the space and manipulating viewers' emotional responses. Siden's use of space is deliberate, often creating installations that invite viewers to participate and become part of the artwork itself. Through these multifaceted experiences, Siden encourages viewers to question their assumptions about the world around them and explore the depths of human perception. His practice is continually evolving, offering audiences a dynamic and thought-provoking exploration of the human experience.
Siden's first solo show, Moments in Light, took place at Sa Sa Art Projects in 2023. He is a recipient of the Dogma Prize (Ho Chi Minh City, 2023), the Treeline Grant (Siem Reap, 2020), and the Java Creative Generation 3 Award (Phnom Penh, 2020). His selected group exhibitions include Creative Generation: Worlds Unknown Art Festival at Friends Futures Factory (2022), Invisible Voices: Treeline Artist Grants at Treeline (2020), Possibility, Transferring, Passing at Sa Sa Art Projects (2019), Immerse at Sa Sa Art Projects (2018), and the Photo Phnom Penh Festival (2018). He participated in the Saitama Artist-In-Residence Program during the Saitama Triennale 2023 in Saitama, Japan. In 2024, he was in a residence in Khon Kaen, Thailand, as part of Muang-Kong-Koi-Jaroen-Raww (My Country Civilization) by Kultx Collaboration Space.
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This art project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement No. 863944 THINK DEEP).
