Last night I had the great privilege,
and pleasure, to be present at the contemporary art gallery – Mirage (it’s on
the corner of Siem Reap’s Koulen Hotel, Oknha Oum-Chhay St, Krong).
I was a little reluctant to venture forth. My evenings in Siem Reap (for the
past six months) had been remarkably unremarkable. To dine, or not to dine,
alone like Hermann Hesse’s Harry Haller had been my decision and my fate. Then,
just like in the story ‘Der Steppenwolf’ I found my ‘Magic theatre’ (in Siem
Reap).
The evening was a little cooler than
usual. due to an intermittent rain. My ‘PassApp taxi’ (tuk tuk) was right on time
and that eventuated in me being early when reaching the Mirage gallery venue.
Rain be-splattered and a sorry sight I was ushered into the gallery sanctuary, and
made welcome by the effervescent Manuela Kind, and kind she was.
This fully attended event was a joint venture with Khmer Collaborative Writers
(or Slap Paka Khmer), whose noble aim is to – “support
Khmer writers and elevate them, dispel cultural norms and gender biases to
enable Khmer writers to grow and create more beautiful medians of expression
and works.”
The primary readers were…..So Phina, Wayne Mc Callulm, Chin Meas, Jean-Baptiste Phou, Khut Sokhoeun and Say Prakchhim.
The earnest and accomplished readings (and performances) started about 6.30pm. Drinks (at a price) were made available from Celliers d'Asie Siem Reap, and food hailed from Jarred. And, after the enthusiastic and assiduous main speakers, who frequently held their audience in wrapped attention, there were opportunities for waifs and strays to join in the merry making (always so much easier after a glass of Chilean rosé), so I did.
I performed three poems, two of which featured subjects familiar to a Siem reap audience. That audience was entirely kind and generous with their applause, so much so it was as if someone had held up a card reading APPLAUSE. They hadn’t, it was all shockingly genuine. One observance I will make about people in Cambodia, is that they do appreciate culture and the efforts made towards such. Particularly now in an upsurge in the re-learning of Khmer culture and an envigorating movement forward by younger, enthused, Cambodians.
The Mirage gallery is not large. However, it was just right for last night’s event. Having a mediocre amount of people in a large gallery is nowhere nearly as exciting as having a comfortable amount of people in a smaller gallery. The whole affair was comfortably intimate.
Readings were read or sung in Khmer and in English. I have to confess that it was the sung, and performed Khmer that eventually beguiled me. Khmer is the most beautiful language to have heard sung. I was instantly transported to those mythic Tolkien glades where Elvish poetry entrances, enchants and intoxicates. Or maybe that was the Chilean rosé on an empty stomach.
The gusto of the crowd and the wonder of the spoken word(s) made that most alluring evening a great success.
