Eap, Plong, Thach

The light and video projection pieces become portals through which we peer into the beautiful history of Cambodia. Scenes of apsaras dancing have followed Thach all throughout her life. Whether it is witnessing performances of traditional wedding ceremonies or observing wood carvings of apsaras hung in family homes, this staple of Khmer culture is embedded in her identity and calls to be performed again. Eap Plong Thach is comprised of three floating silhouettes of the Angkor Wat temple embodying a found video performance of renown apsara dancer, Princess Bopha Devi, filtering through each tower of the temple. The pieces are titled with the maiden names of her grandmother, her mother, and herself. Her grandmother's structure is the brightest one, and as light filters through gossamer screens it becomes dimmer and the image loses its quality. Eap Plong Thach visualizes of the loss of culture across generations and questions the future of progeny’s ability to preserve this identity.

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As an Apsara

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In Memoriam of Me