Cargo

The two structures you see suspended above your head are rattan sculptures of shipping containers. They are made by Cambodian artist Sopheap Pich, who had been fascinated by these containers long before he decided to make the sculptures. Here, he explains his fascination:

I’ve been toying with the idea of Cargo for around four years now, inspired by the significant role played by shipping containers in modernising society as they transport ideas alongside objects.

Pich sees these containers as functional objects that shift physical and intellectual goods around the world. He wanted his sculptures to be true to the physical object they depict, and therefore chose to make them the same size as actual shipping containers.

To Pich, Minimalist concepts are compatible with his art and life:

The application of Minimalist ideas in my practice is also a reflection of my background and aspiration for my works. Despite traveling from country to country since young, I long for my art to be a singular piece of work with multiple cultural influences yet simplified in its presentation - just like how Minimalism is.

Pich emigrated to the United States as a political refugee before returning to Cambodia in 2002, a few years after he completed his art education. Ever since his return, his work has been rooted in the local context. He often uses indigenous materials such as bamboo or rattan, tying them together in a grid-like manner before shaping them into geometric and organic forms. This stems from his childhood experiences in a refugee camp following the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, where his father taught him to make tools using local materials.