/ White Building - Sva Pul

Introduction


2016Single-channel video
2:37”
Courtesy of the Artist and Daisuke Miyatsu


 
In 1953, Cambodia gained independence from the colonization of the French. Vann Molyvann, who studied Architecture in Paris, was appointed to accomplish an ambitious urban planning project－the New Khmer Architecture－White Building, by the Bassac river, combined the style of French Minimalism and the concept of Cambodian traditional Stilt. In 1975, under Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge, 90% of artists were executed, the ideal of New Khmer Architecture and the Golden Age disappeared. Until 1979 after the collapse of Khmer Rough government, the survival performance artists were called to live in the White Building.
《White Building - Sva Pul》features young dancers of the traditional Burmese "Suwala" dance acting as the avatar of Hanuman, the Monkey God, from the Ramayama epic. Hidden within the humorous behavior of this work is a sense of inner desolation.
 



NB： 《 Ramayana 》 is not only one of the roots of Indian culture, but also has a great influence on the culture of Southeast Asia. Java, Bali, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos all have information about Similar epic to Ramayana. Many temples are known for its murals of Ramos fighting with the devil, while local operas witnesses the influence from Ramayana. The image of the Monkey King in Chinese epic 《Journey to the West》 is considered influenced by the image of the monkey god Hanuman (Sanskrit: हनुमत, Hanuman).