HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

DECEIT AND OPPRESSION > >

The Khmer Rouge regime sought to destroy all signs of modern civilization and return to an agrarian society. They first occupied the capital of Phnom Penh and then swiftly forced millions out of the city to work on communal farms in the countryside.

They exacted compliance by lying to the civilians that the United States was going to bomb the city. For their own safety, everyone was told to evacuate into the countryside and would be allowed to return three days later after it was deemed safe. However, this was an outright lie and it would be years before families were able to come back again to their homes.

YEAR 1975 < <

Sheer fabric hangs along curved tracks from a lofty ceiling. Printed upon the fabric itself are historical images of the Cambodians leaving the city in a forced evacuation. The translucent images layer upon one another, creating the fullness of a crowd. As the audience wind their way through the space, their own form interacts with the thin fabric, increasing the density of the crowd and giving it motion. Printed image and motion blur together, creating the sense of a large crowd trudging their way out of the city.

Abandoned residences and boarded up shops line the perimeter, watching quietly as the ghostly progression of people trudge their way out of the city. Droning voices echo through the space warning of the American’s bomb threat. In the center is an illuminated display case of the items hastily grabbed by the Cambodian people before leaving their homes. These include a family’s 3 day supply of rice, pots and pans, small amounts of cash, baskets and blankets for making camp, and valuables such as jewelry.