Random pic 12 June 2024
"Baby Elephant", Ou Vanndy, 2006; SOAS cafeteria, Senate House, London University https://flic.kr/p/2pALMgPMade as part of the Peace Art Project Cambodia, 2006 in Phnom Penh from Small Arms and Light Weapons captured and destroyed by the EU ASAC (European Union Assistance on Curbing Small Arms and light weapons in Cambodia), the work is on long term loan from a private collection Peace Art Project Cambodia Turning weapons into art.The cessation of armed conflict in 1998 left Cambodia facing the huge task of tackling the widespread destabilising proliferation of small arms, mines and UXO. Between 1999 and 2004, the Royal Government of Cambodia and the European Union Assistance on Curbing Small Arms in Cambodia (EU-ASAC) publicly destroyed 125,000 weapons across 17 Cambodian provinces. PAPC has secured thousands of these weapons, along with destroyed ammunition tripods, large calibre weapons and mine/ordnance casings from MAG and the Halo Trust for the purposes of the project Established in July 2003 by Small Arms Specialist Neil Wilford and Artist Sasha Constable, PAPC brings together twenty three students recruited from the Royal University of Fine Art Phnom Penh utilizing decommissioned weapons to create works of art. The completed work is exhibited and sold to promote contemporary Cambodian art, young Cambodian artisans and a weapon free society in Cambodia and globally.The PAPC custom workshop space is rented from the Development Technology Workshop Incubator Park, a British based charity focusing on the transfer of sustainable engineering skills in underdeveloped countries.Three international artists have visited PAPC, providing new sculptural and metal working techniques as well as marketing and promotional skills which are vital to the students' creative development - Mark Solomon an American artist/blacksmith and the executive director of a regional American social justice NGO, Joe Rush an English metal sculptor, and Toby Poolman an English furniture design specialist have all imparted thelr speclalist skills and knowledge the the students.
Michael Ixer ● 378d0 Comments