It’s a nice fall afternoon when photographer Rogelio Esparza meets for coffee at Chimera Cafe, 212 N. Main St.
An immigrant from Mexico, Esparza grew up in Tulsa and graduated from Union High School in 2011 and then Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in 2015 before moving to New York City and Los Angeles. He returned home in 2019.
He’s co-founder of the nonprofit Art House, which has a mission to organize and facilitate community art shows and gatherings by providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work and connect with a diverse audience.
Esparza thought he wanted to work in professional photography, but prefers his artistic freedom … I learned the creative stuff is stuff that does not pay, and stuff that I hate to do is the stuff that’s going to pay. So I was like, “Maybe I don’t want to do photography as a job,” and I think that’s how I’m still thinking about it now. I like to do it more as a hobby.
That said, in August 2021 he photographed singer-songwriter-actor Sturgill Simpson in Pawhuska for Rolling Stone, and shot Turnpike Troubadours at Philbrook Museum of Art for the music publication earlier this year … With the Sturgill shoot I probably got my favorite images I’ve ever taken. I’ve probably got like over 150 images where I was like, “I like every single image.” It was because I didn’t over prepare. He was like, “Here are my two shirts that I brought. We have till sunset. We can do whatever we want.” … I took photos of him for a good two hours on the horse on the hills as much as I could, and that was it. He was really nice.
After settling back into Tulsa, Esparza and roommate Allison Ward developed then launched Art House in December 2019. It has evolved into a nonprofit that has spawned nine more shows that have spotlighted more than 125 local artists who paint, sculpt, create fashion, do photography and more … The way we see ourselves is like the middle person. We want to be able to get money from people and then funnel it to the artists who live in Tulsa, want to live in Tulsa and are doing stuff in Tulsa without getting paid to move here and then leaving. I think for us as artists in Tulsa, we feel a little salty. We want to live here. We’re creating here. Why don’t you help us a little bit to continue to build it? People have the drive to do it for free. Imagine what people can do with a little bit of money. So I think that’s where we find ourselves, where if (funders like Tulsa Artist Fellowship) are not willing to do it, then we should do that ourselves.
Art House started in Esparza and Ward’s home with the inaugural event, then grew to a family member’s backyard before becoming so big it needs 22,000-square-feet of warehouse space to showcase the installations. The goal is to make Art House so big it grows into regions surrounding Tulsa to help local artists grow without moving away … I feel like that’s where Art House is moving toward. We want to make it regional, so it expands to Oklahoma City and maybe a little bit of northwest Arkansas because I feel like a lot of artists feel they have to move to a big city to make it, but I feel like that’s not necessarily the truth. I want to build stuff, but I want to build it here. I don’t want to move back to New York and build something I feel like would be more special here in Tulsa.
Learn more at arthousetulsa.com or on Instagram @arthousetulsa.
Ângela Trindade in the United States.
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Courtesy: Fundação Oriente.
At the first All India Women Artists’ Exhibition in 1936, 27-year-old Ângela Trindade won the gold medal. This was a period when the figure of the professionally trained woman artist was just beginning to emerge in South Asia, with relatively few individuals being able to make a mark that is discernible after nearly a century. Among Trindade’s contemporaries at Bombay’s JJ School of Art was Ambika Dhurandhar, another accomplished artist whose design for a commemorative scroll box for the Maharaja of Baroda’s diamond jubilee won a prize in 1935. Elsewhere, in 1934, the Indo-Hungarian painter Amrita Sher-Gil arrived in Simla with a view to setting up her studio in India. Since the mid-’30s, the three artists’ careers have enjoyed varying fates: Dhurandhar’s work is held largely in private collections and seldom exhibited, while Sher-Gil is one of India’s most famous artists, accorded the status of a navratna by the Indian government in the 1970s, her work permanently on view at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. Trindade’s visibility is somewhere in the middle: while low-profile, her paintings are surprisingly accessible – on public display in Panjim’s old Fontainhas neighbourhood.
The ground-floor gallery of Fundação Oriente, a Portuguese cultural organisation, exhibits works by two important Indian artists, the father-daughter pair of António Xavier Trindade and Ângela Trindade. While the place of the elder Trindade in the story of modern Indian art is beginning to be acknowledged, Ângela remains on its margins. Indeed, it wasn’t until 2014 – 54 years after her last show – that a solo exhibition of her works was mounted at Fundação Oriente, titled Lights, Colours and Emotions – An Exhibition of Religious Paintings by Angela Trindade (1909-1980). The collection at Fundação Oriente consists of 59 paintings across a range of mediums (oil, watercolour, China ink and pencil) and types (religious-themed, portraits, landscapes, still lifes and abstracts). Though only nine of these are on permanent public display in a small gallery off the main section, the curation manages to capture a snapshot of Trindade’s changing stylistic trajectory over the decades, loosely paralleling shifts in Indian modernism.
But before we delve into Trindade’s Panjim oeuvre and significance as one of India’s early “lady artists”, we must briefly acquaint ourselves with her beginnings. A monograph by historian Fátima da Silva Gracias titled Angela Trindade: A Trinity of Light, Colour and Emotion (2016) draws on existing scholarship, interviews, letters and reportage to provide a wealth of information – perhaps all that is currently known – about the artist and her practice. Born in 1909 to Bombay-based Goans António Xavier and Florentina Trindade, Ângela grew up in Mahim with seven siblings and two cousins. Her father was part of the first generation of colonial Indian art school graduates who achieved success in the salon. A prominent artist of the academic realist Bombay School, he was a faculty member at the JJ School of Art alongside MV Dhurandhar (Ambika’s father) for 28 years. The creative, liberal atmosphere of the Trindade home influenced Ângela to take up art from a young age by scribbling on walls with charcoal, and also probably gave her the impetus to tread what at the time was an unconventional professional path for an Indian woman.
Attending JJ School of Art from 1926 to 1932, while her father was still working there, Trindade not only trained in the dominant realist tradition but also studied closely with JM Ahivasi and principal WE Gladstone Solomon, both proponents of the Bombay Revivalist. This was an artistic movement similar to the contemporaneous one in Bengal, inspired by the precolonial art of the subcontinent, such as Mughal-Rajput miniatures and Ajanta murals. From an interview that Gracias quotes, we learn that Gladstone Solomon included the younger Trindade in his exclusive Indian art class. She says, “It was he, who first started classes in Indian art for a few select students and I was fortunate to be one of them.”
Trindade’s earliest paintings, while still a student, were still lifes, portraits and everyday scenes. In her initial years Trindade hewed to the realism of her father’s art, especially his portraiture, even revisiting his subjects at times. However, since she was exposed to techniques and themes belonging to both Western and Indian aesthetics and drew on both approaches to the canvas at different times in her career, it is challenging to periodise her work by style. For example, the two realist works in the Panjim exhibit that most recall António Xavier were made almost 30 years apart – Punjabi with Mandolin (1949) and Rice Pickers (1977).
Against the backdrop of the Indian independence movement, from the early 1940s up to the late 1950s (during which she also made well-received paintings of MK Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru), Trindade engaged seriously with a project that would dominate her artistry and bring her acclaim in the realm of religious art: the development of an indigenous visual language to decolonise the representation of Christian themes and Biblical scenes. She was in excellent company: during these decades, fellow Goan Angelo da Fonseca was on the same mission, with his sari-draped Madonnas and charpai nativities. Gracias notes that Trindade too painted “more than two dozen Madonnas, depicting her with or without a Child”. In Panjim, the watercolours Our Lady of the Lotus (1941) and Our Lady of Conception (1956) are examples of such a painting. Trindade combines Christian figures and tableaux in the Revivalist style with Indic religious iconography such as lotuses, mudras and chhatras, and wearing Indian accoutrements. To make sense of the lotus in Our Lady of the Lotus, we may turn to a 1951 article titled Art in the Service of the Church, in which Trindade exclaims, “What could more beautifully express the great truth of the Incarnation of Christ raising human nature to a divine dignity than the lotus growing out of mud and blossoming into a glorious immaculate flower!” In Our Lady of Conception, Trindade adorns the protagonist with a maangtikka, gajra and bangles, fashioning her as Madonna devi. Both these Virgin Marys have their hands arranged into mudras, which Trindade felt “very Indian and an effective means of conveying what words or expression cannot”.
Apart from her Madonna series, Trindade composed 45 paintings featuring episodes from the life of Christ, in watercolour and Chinese ink. These images too were peopled by figures recognisable as Indian in colour and culture, transplanting the narrative of Christ into the tropics. Three of these works on view at Fundação Oriente are: Christ Preaching (1948), Baptism on the River Jordan (1948) and Christ (1956). There is a bold, graphic quality to these works, perhaps evidence of the fact that smaller versions of them circulated as devotional or holy pictures, greeting cards and posters, as Gracias reports. In fact, Trindade garnered attention far and wide for her adaptation of Christian art. Her paintings were used not only as objects of domestic devotion and reproduced on front covers of magazines; in 1955 she received a Papal decoration, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, and in 1956, 15 of her works were part of a large exhibition of Christian Art in Lucknow, for the catalogue of which she wrote the introduction.
Her significance in the world of sacred art gave her opportunities to travel abroad and show in Europe and North America. In 1949, two years after her first solo at Bombay’s Chetana Gallery, Trindade embarked on a three-year tour of the United States at the invitation of the Liturgical Art Society. During this time, she held six exhibitions, delivered lectures, conducted courses and interacted with other artists. Her relationship with the US would only continue to intensify over the next 20 years as she shuttled between that country and India, finally relocating to New York in 1968, to live with her sister. American abstraction may have had an impact on Trindade’s art, propelling her artistic interest in spiritual themes towards a non-representational idiom.
In the late 1950s, the artist was moving towards the philosophy and aesthetic of Tantra, observing a congruence between the Trinity, the trimurti and the tantric form of the trikona that spoke to universal harmony. Working with oil and creating a cubist vocabulary based on triangles – a mode she facetiously dubbed Trindadism – she painted portraits (including of the first couples Kennedy and Ford) as well as religious and secular subjects as kaleidoscopic arrangements of space and light. Comparable in form to the work of Jehangir Sabavala, the two paintings in this style in the Panjim collection – Madonna and Child (1959) and Shakuntala and Deer (1960) – evoke a mysticism, symbols replacing icons in geometries that afford dazzling clarity. In one handwritten note, the artist offers a glimpse into her process: “….the inner eyes sees forms and shadows with more dimensions and connects one point with another, in order to form a picture of the entire whole in three dimensional forms.”
Rice Pickers (1977) was possibly among the last two paintings that Trindade made as an Indian. In February 1978, she became an American citizen and, two years later, she passed away while visiting relatives in São Paolo. The return to the style of her father towards the end of her life holds a certain poignancy. The Trindade father and daughter were close – so much so that she would paint on his behalf, according to his instructions, in his final wheelchair-bound years before his death in 1935. Throughout her life, Trindade tried to preserve António Xavier’s legacy and secure a proper exhibitionary space for his artworks, writing to various government bodies at the municipal, state and national level. Finally, many years after her own death, the AX Trindade Foundation set up by her sister donated many of the two Trindades’ works to the Fundação Oriente. Even so, Ângela’s work could be better served. At the moment, her nine works are mounted like an afterthought in a gallery to the side, replicating the way she has been sidelined in even this genealogy, and putting one in mind of a ritual wherein one has to ask the father’s permission to see the daughter. Still, something is better than nothing, which it could well have been for Indian viewers. Ângela’s works are not easy to come by on public display – some have gone missing (from Lisbon’s Hall of Justice and en route from Brazil to the US), others have been stolen (from the Vatican Pavilion at the Brusses World Fair, 1959). Within India, outside Goa, only four other paintings are on display, at New Delhi’s Apostolic Nunciature, the diplomatic mission of the Vatican City, where access is restricted. It is only in the siesta-steeped afternoons of Panjim that one can spend time at leisure with Ângela and António, together, always at home to the world.
![[Interview] The Van Gogh Museum’s 50th Anniversary: A Look Back and a Look Ahead With Samsung Art Store](https://www.mecreates.com/story/news/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Art-Store-Van-Gogh-Museum_thumb728.jpg)
Few artists are as well known and beloved as Vincent van Gogh. From “Almond Blossom” and “Sunflowers” to his iconic self-portraits and striking impressionist works, Van Gogh is recognized worldwide for his use of bold colors and dramatic brush strokes. Housing the largest collection of Van Gogh’s art in the world, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is dedicated to the work of both the artist and his contemporaries.
▲ The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Samsung Newsroom sat down with Jordy Howldar, Head of Business Development Asia at the Van Gogh Museum, to discuss how technology is preserving Van Gogh’s legacy for future generations and how the partnership with Samsung Art Store has enhanced art accessibility.
Q: Could you give us an overview of your role at the Van Gogh Museum?
As Head of Business Development Asia at the Van Gogh Museum, I am responsible for partnerships and licensing in Asia. My work primarily involves building the museum’s presence within the Asian market, collaborating with notable brands to expand reach and managing these partnerships to ensure they align with the values and goals of the Van Gogh Museum.
Q: The relationship between Samsung Art Store and the Van Gogh Museum dates back to 2018. Since then, has the museum changed how it selects art pieces to feature in Samsung Art Store?
Our approach when selecting art pieces for Samsung Art Store has evolved since 2018. Now, we carefully consider the preferences and trends among global audiences and aim to showcase a diverse collection of Van Gogh’s work that resonates with different cultures and tastes. Over the years, Van Gogh’s art has become immensely popular with The Frame users — as both his famous pieces and lesser-known works have attracted massive viewership.
▲ “Self-Portrait with Grey Felt Hat” (1887)
Q: What is the significance of making Van Gogh’s work available to large audiences through a platform like Samsung Art Store?
Platforms such as Samsung Art Store democratize access to art, allowing people to experience Van Gogh’s creativity without needing to travel. In addition, his pieces are exposed to new audiences who might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage with them.
Q: How is the Van Gogh Museum celebrating its 50th anniversary?
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the museum is organizing special exhibitions, events and educational programs to reflect on past achievements and anticipate future contributions to the art world. We encourage everyone to join the celebrations by attending our collaborations and exhibitions — such as the one with Pokémon which runs until January 2024. Earlier this year, we held the Sunflower Art Festival to celebrate the anniversary.
▲ “Sunflowers” (1889)
Q: What are some of the most memorable or significant moments in the Van Gogh Museum’s 50-year history?
For our first anniversary, the museum held an exhibition for visitors to explore the history of the institute. Without the unconditional support from the Van Gogh family, the museum simply would not exist.
Q: Of the pieces selected for Samsung Art Store, which ones would you recommend users display on The Frame?
The first would be “Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds,” a striking painting illustrating a dark, brooding sky and a golden wheatfield. When displayed on The Frame, the dramatic contrast captures the emotional intensity and turbulence that Van Gogh originally felt.
▲ “Wheatfield Under Thunderclouds” (1890)
Next, I’d recommend “Fishing Boats on the Beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.” The vibrant blue shades of the sea and sky juxtaposed against the colorful boats makes this painting ideal for The Frame. The screen’s ability to render vibrant colors brings the scene to life, enhancing the painting’s lively and dynamic nature.
▲ “Fishing Boats on the Beach at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer” (1888)
My third pick would be “Landscape at Twilight,” a painting depicting a twilight sky and rural landscape. The Frame’s display accurately captures these subtle nuances in colors — making the idyllic piece a calming addition to any room.
▲ “Landscape at Twilight” (1890)
Q: How has technology impacted the Van Gogh Museum since its opening in 1973?
Our mission is to inspire diverse audiences with the art and life of Vincent van Gogh, and we are always searching for new ways to do so. As such, we’ve incorporated new technologies both inside the museum and online to further preserve Van Gogh’s legacy for future generations.
Q: How does The Frame elevate the viewing experience of art?
The focus of the museum has always been to showcase our expansive Van Gogh collection. Offering this collection of masterpieces on The Frame gives users an opportunity to enjoy Vincent van Gogh’s world-famous paintings from home. Of course, we hope people will also be inspired to come and enjoy the art in person at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam as well.
Q: In December, Samsung Art Store will feature a curated Van Gogh collection called “Van Gogh in Winter.” What can viewers expect to see in this collection?
We are thrilled to bring a carefully crafted selection of artwork to Samsung Art Store. Each masterpiece — from the vivid “The Bedroom” to the serene “Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow (after Millet)” — encapsulates Van Gogh’s revolutionary use of color and emotive landscapes.
The “Van Gogh in Winter” collection offers a unique window into Van Gogh’s world, showcasing his evolution as an artist and his enduring impact on art history. We invite viewers to immerse themselves in these classic works and experience Van Gogh’s art in a new vibrant, digital format.
▲ “The Bedroom” (1888)
▲ “Snow-Covered Field with a Harrow (after Millet)” (1890)
Q: Are there any upcoming events at the museum?
Visitors can enjoy the special “Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum” activities in the museum until January 7, 2024. “Matthew Wong l Vincent van Gogh: Painting as a Last Resort” will then open in early March — a temporary exhibition inviting attendees to discover the colorful and expressive art of Matthew Wong and his artistic connection with Vincent van Gogh.
Visit Samsung Art Store in The Frame to see more of the Van Gogh collection.
Sotheby’s will offer a Diego Velázquez full-length portrait of Isabel de Borbón, queen of Spain and the first wife of Philip IV, for a princely $35mn in New York on February 1 2024. Its price tag — which would mark an auction record by far for the 17th-century painter — reflects the rarity of his court paintings on the public market as most remain in royal or museum collections.
The Sotheby’s work “disappeared” from Spain’s royal collection during Napoleon’s 1808 invasion and reappeared in France, says George Wachter, Sotheby’s co-chair of Old Master paintings. His colleague, Christopher Apostle, says of this work in particular, “Velázquez took inspiration from Rubens and created the Baroque language of Spain.”
The painting has been dated to the late 1620s, while Sotheby’s specialists note that its composition has similarities with a portrait of the king painted in 1631-32, in London’s National Gallery.
Subsequent private owners include the banker and book collector Henry Huth, who bought the work in 1853 and in whose family it remained until 1950. The portrait is now being sold by a private family trust which has owned the work since 1978, Sotheby’s says. The auction house has guaranteed a price for the painting, more of a rarity in the Old Masters arena.
After a three-year break, the space-sharing gallery collaboration Condo London comes back in the new year for its sixth iteration (January 20-February 17). The event, which involves London galleries hosting overseas counterparts, “involves so much moving around, I wanted things to be as back to normal as possible after Covid,” says Vanessa Carlos, who runs Carlos/Ishikawa gallery and is Condo’s founder-organiser.
Since Carlos launched the project in 2016, it has inspired similar free-to-visit events in the UK capital, notably London Gallery Weekend, which began in 2021 and had 130-plus participants this year. Carlos describes Condo as a “completely different” initiative. “It’s about the cross-pollination of galleries, it’s not for profit and should be kept small so that visitors can spend more time discovering another [gallery’s] programme,” she says.
This year 49 galleries take part in 23 spaces, up from 36 in 17 back in 2020. Spread across London, the latest pairings including Beirut’s Marfa’ Projects in The Approach and Mexico City’s Pamela Weissenberg at mother’s tankstation limited. Carlos/Ishikawa’s gallery hosts Chapter NY and Vienna’s Galerie Kandlhofer.
Joining Condo next year is Emalin, which has doubled down in east London with a second gallery. Opening on January 13, co-founders Leopold Thun and Angelina Volk have secured the Clerk’s House, a 1735 building so quaint that its address is 118½ Shoreditch High Street, next to St Leonard’s church. “It will provide more of an intimate, experiential encounter than our other space, which is one large room [in a former factory]. In the Clerk’s House, people can meander from room to room,” Thun says.
Their opening exhibition, a group show of about a dozen artists including Alvaro Barrington and Sung Tieu, has work inspired by the history and nature of the building. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Volk says, guards used the house as a lookout for graveyard body-snatchers. “It’s on the precipice of a church ground and the secular world, its number has an in-betweenness about it and the works on show build on that,” she says.
The gallery, which opened in 2016, has succeeded in bringing innovative and often complicated artists on to the scene. Its location, gentrifying fast, remains core: “We want to be part of the cultural fabric of the place we are in,” Volk says.
The Frieze art fair returns to its Santa Monica airport venue in Los Angeles for the second time next year, but organisers have decided against the experimental Barker Hangar section that housed 40 of its 124 exhibitors last time. “Having two locations, when you’re not crossing a beautiful park [as for the London fairs], can be a bit of a challenge,” says Christine Messineo, Frieze director of Americas.
A bit more room has been made on the main site, so the fair will have close to 100 exhibitors under one roof this time around, while the grounds outside the tent will house more installations, performances and “just more places for people to gather”, including restaurants, Messineo says. First-time participants in the fair next year include the galleries Bank and MadeIn from Shanghai.
A collection of 114 items of football-based art will be on sale through Bonhams online (December 4-13). The collection, assembled by the dealer Chris Beetles for a former chair of a Premier League team who wants to remain anonymous, was on view at his gallery last year, for sale as a whole and reportedly valued at £1.5mn. Now it comes as separate lots with a £260,000-£380,000 total estimate, priced to encourage pre-Christmas bidding. Beetles says that “the response from hundreds of enthusiasts was enormous, so we decided that the pictures should be offered to fans in this passionate market.”
The majority date from the 1920s-80s, with Arsenal the most represented team in the collection. Estimates range from £100-£150 for cartoons drawn by Roy Ullyett for the Daily Express in 1974 to £100,000-£150,000 for Charles Cundall’s painting of a 1926 FA Cup match between amateur team The Corinthians and Manchester City.
In his catalogue introduction, Beetles — a long-suffering Spurs fan — writes: “It is a rare event to find an original work of art featuring football . . . And so to Bonhams for the final away game; the players’ contracts are up and by December 13 the window closes and they will all have new owners.”
The collection can be seen at Bonhams, London between December 10-13.
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The 45th annual Holiday Market features pieces created by more than 100 artists from around Michigan. The market occupies the first floor of the Anton Art Center and runs until Dec. 23.
“Darleen Urbanek: Peaceful Moments” is the first solo exhibition of artist Darleen Urbanek, of Sterling Heights. Urbanek’s work highlights people, landscapes, animals and other scenes that reflect or inspire moments of peace.
Photo provided by Anton Art Center
MOUNT CLEMENS — It is not just you that is busy this time of year. The Anton Art Center is juggling two main events in December, hosting the solo exhibition debut of a Sterling Heights artist and the 45th annual Holiday Market.
“We’ve got over 100 artists featured this year,” said Phil Gilchrist, Anton Art Center executive director. “About 20% of those are new to the organization and to the market. We’re showcasing literal tons of items here for sale for the holidays, encompassing all kinds of stuff. Home decor, holiday decor, gift items, fine art, crafts, jewelry, fiber arts. … You name it, we probably have it.”
The market has evolved over its nearly half-century, going from showing items on shelves made from stacked wood planks and cinder blocks to having the resources and volunteers needed to run a professional retail operation.
“I give a lot of credit to the people in the beginning who had the forethought to pull this together,” Gilchrist said. “Over the years, it’s helped a lot of artists and it’s been a very important program for the Anton Art Center during that entire time. It really was all volunteers. Even today we rely on volunteers to pull it together and every year they do an incredible job, so we’re really happy and proud to have those folks involved here at the Anton Art Center and are thankful of all of the work that they do to bring this together every year.”
Moving up a floor from the market takes guests into the first-ever solo exhibition by artist Darleen Urbanek, of Sterling Heights. Titled “Darleen Urbanek: Peaceful Moments,” the show includes over 60 original works focusing on animals, people and landscapes that reflect moments of peace.
“Darleen’s work tends to be impressionistic,” Gilchrist said. “She really gets into the feeling of the work, and what she’s representing is less about having very specific details and being realistic and more about how the moment makes you feel.”
Urbanek says she has been painting since she was “old enough to hold a pencil,” honing her artistic skills outside of a formal classroom setting.
“I’ve never really had any formal training,” Urbanek said. “I was chosen as a gifted artist through the Detroit Public Schools back in grade school and my grandma used to take me on the bus down to the art museum for classes. Other than that, I’ve really just taken workshops and nothing really formal over the years. I might see an artist that I like so I would go take a workshop with them.”
Most of the paintings on display were made for “Peaceful Moments,” and those moved by Urbanek’s work will have the rare opportunity to bring it home with them.
“Darleen’s work is going to be sold on a cash-and-carry basis, which is kind of unusual for an exhibit,” Gilchrist said. “If anybody were to come here and be really interested in one of the pieces she created, they could buy it and take it home that same day.”
In case the whole exhibition sells out before its ends, Urbanek’s work can be found on sale in the Holiday Market.
Both the market and “Peaceful Moments” end on Saturday, Dec. 23. The Anton Art Center is under seasonal hours for December. The center is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s closed on Monday. Admission to the center is free, and parking is free after 3 p.m. in Mount Clemens until Dec. 31.
More information about the Anton Art Center can be found at theartcenter.org.
In the dynamic city of Phnom Penh, the 14th edition of the Photo Phnom Penh Festival (PPP) will unfold its cultural celebration from December 7 to February 7, 2024.
Evolving from its 2008 debut as a platform for emerging photographers, the festival has grown into a globally recognised event, fostering cross-cultural connections between Asia and Europe and playing a vital role in promoting the expansive realm of photography.
“We are thrilled to return to this historically rich site, which has been the festival’s home since its inception,” says Christian Caujolle, the art director of PPP and a distinguished figure in the photography community.
Caujolle observes that the PPP has catalyzed a transformation within the local photography scene. Finding even four Cambodian photographers skilled enough to exhibit was a considerable challenge back in 2008.
The establishment of photography education initiatives such as Studio Images, initially at the French Cultural Centre and now under the auspices of the French Institute, has played a substantial role in cultivating budding talents for the festival.
Despite these endeavours, the country grapples with a lack of comprehensive photography education, highlighting an ongoing demand for a dedicated photography school.
“For our tenth edition, we had the opportunity to exhibit on the walls of the French embassy, one of the festival’s most stunning venues. We showcased works from 10 Cambodian photographers and organised a slide show featuring 25 Cambodian photographers,” Caujolle tells The Post.
Origins and vision
The festival’s origins can be traced to the collaborative efforts of Alain Arnaudet, the former director of the French Cultural Centre (now known as the French Institute of Cambodia), and Christian Caujolle, a prominent figure in the realm of photography.
The fundamental concept behind the event was both straightforward and impactful: to establish a forum fostering cultural exchange between Europe and Asia while nurturing artistic talent in the Kingdom.
Having previously conducted photography workshops in Cambodia during the late nineties, Caujolle assumed the role of art director for the festival. The primary objective was to provide local photographers with access to the international photographic community, encouraging them to develop their distinct artistic identities.
“The festival’s main idea is to enable the public to discover photographic works, serving an educational purpose, and to inspire those who wish to express themselves through photography,” Caujolle explains.
Over the years, the festival has maintained its core vision: to acquaint the public with a diverse array of photographic works, offer educational opportunities and encourage expression through photography.
As the festival has progressed, its scope has expanded, encompassing outdoor exhibitions, inventive projection displays and welcoming participants from various countries. A notable aspect of PPP is its alternating focus on European and Asian countries. This approach ensures that attendees engage with the contemporary photography scenes of diverse cultures, often delving into those that are less known and underexplored.
“Since last year, we have welcomed international guests, with 10 artists from Switzerland in 2022 and five artists from Taiwan this year, alternating between a European and an Asian country each year,” Caujolle shares.
International partnerships
The festival’s growth and diversity owe a great deal to its international partners, such as the French Institute and the Delegation of the EU.
“Without these institutions, the festival would be impossible. They assist in bringing artists from their countries, but they do not influence the programming decisions,” Caujolle asserts.
The guest country selection process is intentional, alternating between European and Asian origins to feature artists from these nations. This approach allows the festival to offer attendees an array of photography from various cultures. Moreover, the guest countries actively contribute to producing the exhibition, playing a vital role in the festival’s success. PPP aims to include countries that might lack the financial resources or political support to participate independently, promoting inclusivity and cultural exchange.
“For instance, with Taiwan this year, we feature five photographers and a projection of 20 on the festival’s opening night, offering a glimpse into the photography scene in Taiwan,” Caujolle mentions.
Caujolle states the importance of financial support for such participation, especially for countries that may be unable or unwilling to contribute.
“We need monetary support for this. We are considering partnerships for invited countries, with nations like Burma or Vietnam in mind,” he explains.
The art director advocates for the power of diversity in photography, evident in its aesthetics, history and representation of cultures. He sees the inclusion of works by artists from diverse fields as a means to broaden minds and vision, providing increased freedom for individuals to express themselves.
Another photo to be exhibited during the upcoming Photo Phnom Penh Festival (PPP). Photo supplied
Cambodian and Int’l artists
At the French Institute, Kim Hak’s work serves as a reminder that Cambodia extends beyond Angkor Wat and the Khmer Rouge Killing Fields. Born in Battambang two years after the regime’s fall, his upbringing was immersed in his parents’ memories of that era. Initially in the travel industry, he shifted to photography in 2012, capturing landscapes, including the Mekong, Tonle Sap Lake and coastal provinces. Exhibiting globally, Hak’s work has featured in art festivals and prominent publications.
Young artist Hul Kanha presents a series blending photography and painting, exploring self-portraiture with diverse mediums. Born in 1999 in Siem Reap, her work draws from traditional proverbs and personal experiences, delving into the interplay between the physical body, nostalgia and trauma.
Born in 1993 in Takmao town of Kandal province, Chhen Kimhong transitioned from IT networking to photography in 2019. His series on Phnom Penh’s bus stops, shot at night, portrays them as luminous sculptures. Despite the pandemic, he documented their evolving state, reflecting urban elements with a graphic background.
Local artists Baty Morokot, Nhean Lyda, Khiev Kanel and Hou Sokratana explore themes from daily life to environmental concerns. International photographers like Chao-Tang Chang, Shen Chao-Liang, Lee Ya-Yen, Chen Chun-Lu, Yang Shun-Fa (Taiwan), Denis Dailleux (France) and Alan Crumlish (Scotland) contribute diverse subjects, including rural life, folk culture, climate change and cultural recovery.
These artists, each with individual styles and thematic focuses, bring awards and international recognition to PPP. Their participation underscores the event’s commitment to showcasing diverse photographic talents and perspectives globally. The Bophana Center hosts Alan Crumlish’s 1989 photographs, providing a poignant glimpse into Cambodia’s history post the Khmer Rouge regime.
Embracing the digital age
In the swiftly changing world, connecting with younger audiences is vital for the Festival’s success. Organisers leverage social media and local press in Khmer, English and French to engage with young Cambodians. PPP draws students, academics, artists, communication specialists and culture enthusiasts, offering an inclusive space for those with a keen interest in exploring art, regardless of formal education access.
“We are also initiating numerous activities like the photo competition, ‘Photo is your memory,’ where artists can converse and share their experiences,” says Caujolle.
Such initiatives are instrumental in fostering a deeper connection between the artists and the community.
“A highlight not to be missed is our ‘travelling exhibition,’ which will move around the city for two months. This is made possible through a longstanding collaboration with a group of remorque drivers. In the back of their ‘trailers,’ they carry artworks, making them accessible to all and offering an extraordinary artistic and urban escapade,” Caujolle tells The Post.
This aspect of the festival not only brings art closer to the public but also adds a dynamic, mobile element to the artistic experience in Phnom Penh.
Future Aspirations
As the festival celebrates its 14th edition, it maintains its founding principles of cultural exchange and artistic growth. The festival is keen on continuing to build collaborations between Asia and Europe and harbours aspirations to include artists from South and North America in future editions.
“The festival is committed to maintaining its educational focus and to promoting new generations of Cambodian photographers,” affirms Caujolle.
He also has a strong desire to continue inviting countries to participate and to expand the scope of outdoor exhibitions. Such expansions not only enhance the festival’s reach but also diversify the experiences it offers to attendees. He shares the aspiration to increase the festival’s activities in the provinces, spreading its influence and benefits beyond the capital city.
Caujolle says he has ambitions to establish a permanent home for photography in Phnom Penh. This dream, if realised, would create a lasting foundation for the photographic arts in Cambodia, further enriching the cultural landscape of the city and providing a continual platform for photographers to showcase their work and hone their craft.
