“The beloved Kampong Som”

In front of the media library of the French Institute

21^st Nov 2024 – 11^thJan 2025

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Many important documentary projects are built over time. Going back and back to the same place, following a person for many years, exploring the same situation or the same problem in different places allows us to go beyond simple observations and anecdotes. It has been the choice of Ourng Sam Ang for his photography, which purpose, for all his projects, deal with the long term. A good example is given by his documentation of the evolution and deep changes in Sihanoukville since 2019. This native of Kampot in 1996 had no special reason, except curiosity, to photograph this area. He trained in Kep in the journalism and social media department

at the Don Bosco Technical School. It was there that he discovered photography and learned to use a camera. But after his studies, which he completed in 2016, he hardly practiced photography anymore and worked for Channel 5 in a technical production team for television. Increasingly passionate about photography, he perfected his skills by following the workshops of Sa Sa Art Projects, then those of Philong Sovan and Marie Le Mounier at the French Institute before a last one with Vandy Rattana.

In 2018 he discovered Sihanoukville, the favorite seaside resort for Cambodians and, seduced by the place, began by creating landscapes which had become his favorite practice. It was the beginning of his project

The Beloved Kampong Som. At that time the city was undergoing profound transformation. As part of the Silk Road, the largest deep-water port in the country was equipped with new infrastructure and Chinese investors were massively present. New buildings, new structuration of the town and, in 2019, there were no fewer than 62 casinos in town. If this activity was slowed down - while a third of the city's population was at that time Chinese by a decree of August 2019 banning online betting which permitted money laundering. A certain number of Chinese left but the madness of real estate construction wasn’t stopped. Until the Covid crisis which completely blocked Chinese tourism and slowed down economic activity. The crisis was there, which left hundreds of buildings abandoned or with construction interrupted. Contemporary ruins.

Ourng SamAng documents this situation and the contrast with the quiet and beautiful beach without emphasis, without insisting, without taking a position. He notes and the contrasts between the beach and the large buildings, some still under construction, are shown with subtlety in a great unity of lights and colors. A work that will continue.

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