In Cambodia, most cases of arts censorship are linked to the notion of protecting and preserving culture. Kai Brennert examines how different generations of civil servants and policymakers are shaped by their lived experiences, which in turn influence their view of “cultural preservation”.
Nutcha Tantivitayapitak and Sudarat Musikawong travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand to shine a light on the artn’t Collective, who are currently facing numerous legal charges for works that are viewed as critiquing the state.
artn’t: Thailand’s Rebel Artists Read More »
ArtsEquator remembers the artists and cultural workers from the Singapore we lost in 2022.
Amitha Amranand remembers the artists and cultural workers Thailand lost in 2022.
Pristine de Leon remembers the artists and cultural workers from the Philippines we lost in 2022.
A national living treasure, a rock musician and an activist poet Read More »
Mira Sharon remembers the artists and cultural workers from Malaysia we lost in 2022.
A bangsawan guru, a graffiti artist and an anthropologist who composed iconic rock songs Read More »
Theodora Agni remembers the artists and cultural workers Indonesia lost in 2022.
The arts ecosystems in many parts of Southeast Asia are under-resourced. In this environment, independent arts spaces provide invaluable opportunities and support to the wider community. Deborah Augustin interviews the people behind four arts spaces in Malaysia to learn more about their work and how they have survived in an evolving landscape.
Building Practice: Arts Spaces in Malaysia Read More »
Revisiting a favourite Singaporean band, Plainsunset, Diana Rahim fleetingly captures her youthful self and recalls the creativity of the local music scene in the early 2000s.
To See My Plainsunset Read More »
Artists from the region created a virtual time capsule to capture the objects and memories of the past two years.
“Covid Time Capsule”: Memories and Regret and Echoes from the Stars Read More »
In a country with opaque requirements for what can and cannot be shown, Linh Le highlights how something as seemingly straightforward as obtaining an exhibition licence may be used to control artistic expression in Vietnam.
The Art of Exhibition Licencing in Vietnam Read More »
Tại một đất nước như Việt Nam, nơi có những yêu cầu không rõ ràng về việc trưng bày, Linh Lê nhấn mạnh rằng chỉ cần một thứ tưởng chừng đơn giản như xin giấy phép triển lãm có thể trở thành một cách kiểm duyệt biểu đạt nghệ thuật.
Nghệ thuật Xin giấy phép Triển lãm ở Việt Nam Read More »
Jean Baptise Phou’s work My Mother’s Tongue began as a way for the artist to examine his relationship with his Teochew-speaking mother. Through collocations with other artists and audiences, the work has undergone different manifestations, but remains an “an exploration of the barriers to connection that transcend language” writes Deborah Augustine.
Echoes from the Stars: A Collective Map of Love, Memories and Regret Read More »
The tale of a pioneering woman Indonesian filmmaker converges with the mission of a group of women film researchers, as Adrian Jonathan Pasaribu highlights how archives and historical records often render some stories invisible.
Finding Ratna Asmara and the Herstory of Indonesian Cinema Read More »
In this visual essay, puppet maker and designer Daniel Sim, begins with a set of rejected stage chairs, and ends up on a lyrical journey through Singapore’s theatre history.
In the latest episode of our popular 10 Things You Should Know series, we share facts about the keris, a warfare weapon commonly used in maritime Southeast Asia.
10 Things You Should Know About: Keris Read More »
SMU students Caitlin Leong and Joy Lo interview Isabella Chiam about her gardening workshop, ‘The Last Gardener’, gaining insights into the risks and challenges that artists face in the creative sector.
Isabella Chiam: Cultivating Risks Read More »
Corey Koh began with a simple question about the early days of opera in Singapore. Trawling through newspaper archives and scholarly articles, Corey, a young classical tenor who has performed widely in Singapore and abroad, uncovers a fascinating story of Singapore’s place within a larger transcontinental touring circuit, and gives us a glimpse into early performance criticism in Singapore.
In Search of Singapore’s Early Opera History Read More »
In the latest installment of AWARE’s Growing Up anthology, Diana Rahim finds that in an environment where our experience of race and womanhood may be constricted, personal stories can be powerful acts of re-making and re-narrativising.
The Growing Up Anthologies & the Diversity of Being “Brown” Read More »
Nutcha Tantivitayapitak and Sudarat Musikawong delves into the life of the late Wat Wanlayangkoon, an award winning novelist who left a lasting impact on the world of arts and activism in Thailand.
Wat Wanlayangkoon: A Life Given to Art and Justice Read More »
Xiao Ting Teo is moved to consider how the detritus of being shapes us anew as she encounters two works, “Declutter Me!” and “Frequencies” at the The Substation’s annual SeptFest 2022: uproot | rootless.
Slated for [ ]: on Declutter Me! and Frequencies Read More »
Zikri Rahman menghuraikan tentang filem-filem yang ditapis secara tegas dan peluang yang terlepas akibat tindakan tersebut.
Yang Ditapis, Yang Terlepas Read More »
In the latest episode of our popular 10 Things You Should Know series, we share facts about batik, a fabric popular in Southeast Asia.
10 Things You Should Know About: Batik Read More »
Researcher Linh Le interviews artist-curator Bill Nguyễn, in a wide ranging conversation about historical and contemporary censorship in Vietnam.
Podcast: Freedom for Artistic Expressions in Vietnam Read More »
In a country with a range of national and international laws to protect artistic rights, Reaksmey Yean questions the reality of freedom of expression for artists in Cambodia.
Artistic Freedom in Cambodia: When Legal Safeguards Are Not Enough Read More »
នៅខែកញ្ញា ឆ្នាំ២០២០ អាជ្ញាធរកម្ពុជាបានចាប់ខ្លួនអ្នកចម្រៀងរ៉ែបវ័យក្មេងពីររូប គឺ គា សុគន្ធ និងឡុង ពុទ្ធារ៉ា ទាក់ទងទៅនឹងពាក្យពេចន៍រំលេចនៅក្នុងបទចម្រៀង ដីខ្មែរ របស់ពួកគេ ដែលចេញកាលពីខែមេសា ឆ្នាំ២០២០។ បទចម្រៀងនេះបានទាក់ទាញឱ្យមានការទស្សនារហូតដល់ជាង ២,២លានលើក អំឡុងពេល៥ខែបន្ទាប់ពីការចេញផ្សាយ។ បទដីខ្មែរ នេះជំរុញឱ្យយុវជនខ្មែរទាំងឡាយក្រោកប្រឆាំងនឹងការគាបសង្កត់ អំពើពុករលួយ បោះបង់ចោលគ្រឿងស្រវឹង ហើយយកចិត្តទុកដាក់លើបញ្ហាទឹកដី។ នៅក្នុងបទចម្រៀងនេះ សុគន្ធរ៉ែបថា៖ «ខ្ញុំចាប់កំណើតកើតនៅលើដីកម្សត់ មានបេះដូងអព្យាក្រឹត ប្រឆាំងជាមួយនឹងជនក្បត់ វ៉ៃយកកេរដំណែល ក្រវែលអ្នកគាបសង្កត់ ជួយជាតិតាមសំឡេង ឱ្យគេឮតាមបទ។ ខ្ញុំអ្នកសៀមរាបរស់នៅលើដីប្រាសាទ មានឈាមវរ្ម័នក្លាហានមិនបាក់ស្បាត ឈរតំណាងទឹក តំណាងដី តំណាងសាសន៍ លើកទង់ជាតិកម្ពុជា ស្មើមេឃ ស្មើអាកាស។» ពាក្យពេចន៍របស់សុគន្ធ គឺពោរពេញទៅដោយមនោសញ្ចេតនា ជាតិនិយម ជាពិសេសពេលដែលសិល្បកររូបនេះរម្លឹកដល់អ្នកស្ដាប់ថា ៖ «យើងបើអស់ដីគ្មានអ្វីនៅទៀតទេ… សាសន៍មួយចំនួនកំពុងតែឈ្លានពាន ពេលដែលបាក់សាមគ្គីគេនឹងមកទន្ទ្រាន…» បើទោះបីជាបទចម្រៀងទាំងមូលមិនលើកយកពាក្យ «វៀតណាម» មកពណ៌នាក៏ដោយចុះ ក៏បញ្ហាទឹកដីដែលបានរំលេចនៅក្នុងចម្រៀងមួយបទ នេះធ្វើឱ្យអ្នកស្ដាប់យល់បានថា ជាការសំដៅទៅរកបញ្ហាព្រំដែនដ៏រស៊ើបមួយជាមួយនឹងប្រទេសវៀតណាម ទៅនឹងការចោទប្រកាន់ជាយូរយារណាស់មកហើយថា
សេរីភាពសិល្បៈនៅកម្ពុជា ៖ នៅពេលដែលការការពារតាមផ្លូវច្បាប់មិនគ្រប់គ្រាន់ Read More »
Kiri Dalena, one of the artists at the controversy-ridden documenta fifteen speaks with Pristine De Leon about the uneven dynamics between global exchanges and local needs, between lumbung and rigid hierarchies, between what has materialised and what was dreamed.
“It Has Been Dreamed”: Kiri Dalena on documenta fifteen Read More »
Dwiki Aprinaldi critiques the influences of colonial history that still seep through the film industry in Southeast Asia. This article is published as part of the inaugural AE x Goethe-Institut Critical Writing Micro-Residency 2021/2022.
Beyond the Imagination Trajectories of Former Colonies Read More »
Burmese artists make art in exile in Thailand, finding refuge and showcasing cross-border solidarity for artistic freedom.
Art in Exile: Burmese Artists in Thailand Read More »
In a wide-ranging historical analysis of censorship in the Philippines, from Marcos (Senior) to Marcos (Junior), Katrina Stuart Santiago lays bare the myth of artistic freedom in the Philippines. In the process, she identifies a mounting conservatism, and new kinds of censors.
Creativity, Conservatism, and Censorship: A Philippine Snapshot Read More »
