Dance, sculpture and the 1960s: Phnom Penh’s arts

About Dance, sculpture and the 1960s: Phnom Penh’s arts

By the ULTIMATE Phnom Penh Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Cambodia’s arts were almost lost: in Meta House’s words, during the Khmer Rouge years most of the country’s artists and intellectuals were killed. What followed is one of the great stories of cultural renewal. Classical dance, shadow puppetry and music were taught again by the masters who survived; Cambodian Living Arts, founded nearly three decades ago, now supports a new generation of artists. The National Museum keeps the sculpture of Angkor, and the boulevards keep the bold modern buildings of the 1950s and 60s, known as New Khmer Architecture.

Sculpture

The National Museum of Cambodia, beside the palace, holds the finest collection of Khmer sculpture, from the pre-Angkor period to Angkor.

Dance and music

Cambodian Living Arts (cambodianlivingarts.org), based at 13E Street 830, supports Cambodian artists and organisations and lists performances on its site.

See a performance: classical dance in Phnom Penh is the art the whole country rebuilt.

New Khmer Architecture

In the 1950s and 60s Cambodian architects built a modern capital: the fan-shaped Chaktomuk Conference Hall on the riverside, the Olympic Stadium and the Institute of Foreign Languages are among the best known.

Film and talks

Meta House, the German-Cambodian cultural centre at 48 Street 228, screens films and hosts talks and exhibitions; the Institut français du Cambodge, at 218 Street 184, has its own cinema and gallery.

Our advice: check the programmes of Meta House and the Institut français for the week you are in town.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Dance, sculpture and the 1960s: Phnom Penh’s arts before you go.