Speeches
Ambassador Rodley's Remarks at ART in Embassies Reception
Ambassador Residence
May 26, 2009
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming to the residence this evening to help open this new exhibit. I am so happy to have been able to install this collection of art that is connected directly or indirectly to Cambodia. Much of the heavy lifting was done back in Washington through the ART in Embassies program. This program was founded in 1964 to help establish a “global museum” of original works by American artists and has helped to establish exhibits in over 180 diplomatic residences around the world.
When I returned to Cambodia after an eight year absence one of the things I immediately noticed was the thriving cultural and arts scene that was barely a blip on the radar when I served here between 1997 and 2000. I know that many of you are either the instigators or the beneficiaries of this new development in Cambodian society and I am so happy to see you here tonight. I believe that the arts will play transformative role in Cambodia and may help shift the focus of both the population and the rest of the world away from the past and towards the future which I believe is very bright.
That is not to say that past should be ignored or forgotten. I know that much of the work that you are doing will help people remember the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime. I also believe that the ECCC is playing its role in helping to heal the wounds of the past through national reconciliation. However, I do not believe that this is the only thing that Cambodia should be known for in the world. This country has a rich cultural and artistic history that is little known outside of its borders. I am not referring to the temples and sculpture of Angkor Wat or to the Apsara dance which are obviously famous in their own right. Instead I am talking about the work that all of you are doing, whether it been in dance, music or in the visual arts. You are such an important part of the development of this country and of its reputation throughout the world, and I hope that we at the Embassy can help to provide a broader stage on which to display your talents.
As you may know, things are already changing. A number of international collectors have bought up the paintings of Svay Ken and others over the past several years. Cambodian artists are also thriving in the Diaspora communities of the United States, and some of their work is displayed here tonight. These are all positive developments that will help the way people think about Cambodia to evolve in the future and to include not only the tragedies of the past but also the beauty and the history of this country as reflected by its art and artists.
Thank you again for coming tonight and I hope you enjoy the exhibition.
