𖠁 Cambodian artist LIM Sokchanlina, born in 1987, used photography, installation, and video art to explore cultural memory, environmental change, and the local impacts of globalization.
His solo exhibition, The Water Element: Tonle Sap Lake Is Floating, was showcased in 2024 at NCA Nichido Contemporary Gallery in Tokyo, as well as the exhibition "On Water" about Mekong river in Singapore later that year.
Exhibitions delved into the hydrological changes of Tonle Sap Lake and Mekong River, addressing how climate change was reshaping lives in Cambodia.
LIM Sokchanlina’s works were featured in significant international exhibitions, including the 2019 Singapore Biennale and Documenta 15 in Kassel, Germany, in 2022. His art examined Cambodia’s history and present within a global context.
LIM actively promoted the globalization of Cambodian contemporary art. His works became part of prestigious collections, such as the Singapore Art Museum, Denver Art Museum, and Mori Art Museum in Japan, cementing his position as a key figure in the international art scene.
Through his keen perspective and profound social awareness, LIM Sokchanlina offered new ways of understanding Southeast Asian culture and environmental issues. His creations were not just art but a deep conversation about history, identity, and the future.
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𖠁 Japan “The Water Element”
Solo art exhibition by Cambodian arti Lim Sokchanlina
Venue: NCA l Nichido Contemporary Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Date: 10 Oct - 16 Nov 2024“The Water Element” : Tonle Sap Lake Is Floating
Tonle Sap Lake, the heart of Cambodia, supports the livelihoods of nearly two million people as Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake. The artist profoundly reflects the lake's fragile ecosystem and its impact on local communities in his work. In his artist statement, he notes that the murky and unstable waters symbolize the unpredictability of life, requiring constant adaptation from its inhabitants. While the water is not drinkable without filtration, it sustains both the ecosystem and the people, leading to a unique way of life.
Recalling his first visit in 2011, the artist describes a nine-hour boat journey from Phnom Penh, where he was awed by the lake's vastness. Staying with a local family in a fishing village deepened his understanding of ecological changes and their effects on the community.
As climate change and declining water levels threaten local livelihoods, the artist emphasizes that water, a fundamental element of life, faces unprecedented challenges. His long-term project seeks to explore how these essential elements influence the complexities of modern society, calling for collective action to protect this precious ecosystem.
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𖠁 Singapore “On Water”
A research reflection exhibition by Lim Sokchanlina and Zen Teh
Date: 9 Nov -15 Dec 2024
Venue: Objectifs Chapel Gallery, Singapore
"On Water": A Dialogue Between Art and Environment
The seasonal flood pulse of Cambodia’s Mekong River has long shaped the lives of its riverine communities, dating back to the Khmer Empire. However, rapid industrialization and the effects of climate change over the past two decades have endangered this delicate balance of nature and culture. Singaporean artist Zen Teh and Cambodian artist Lim Sokchanlina’s collaborative project, "On Water", uses art to examine these environmental and societal crises.
In August 2023, the artists traveled from Phnom Penh to Stung Treng, experiencing firsthand the transformed landscapes of Mekong River. They documented stories of locals who continue to endure the degradation of their natural heritage. This project began in 2022 during Teh’s residency with SaSa Art Projects, where she visited the village of Kampong Phluk and investigated the link between sand mining and Phnom Penh’s rapid urbanization. A year later, she and Lim revisited the village to expand their research into the social and cultural impacts of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong River.
“On Water” presents the initial findings of this collaboration through moving images, anecdotal interviews, installations, and photography. The exhibition raises urgent questions: Can alternative industrial frameworks be developed that incorporate the river communities’ deep knowledge of nature’s rhythms and cycles? This project is not only a reflection on environmental issues but also a profound meditation on humanity’s future.
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