Translated into ‘Hut of [an] Angel’, ‘Hut Tep Soda Chan’ borrows the title of a famous Khmer film produced in 1968. It endured the test of time, remaining one of the few films produced pre-communist era (the Khmer Rouge era) that is still widely known, watched, and purchased today. The film is a tale of the love between an angel and a mortal man – the former relinquishing all of her riches to be with the latter. The film illustrates how the poor though materially lacking are rich in happiness and love. So rich are the poor in these emotions, they fill the void of material possessions of the people who love them. In ‘Hut Tep Soda Chan’, Tith reveals that this condition is true to real life; she and her neighbours, though living in slums, are happy and proud of their lot. In the artwork, Tith invited her neighbours to contribute objects from their home. Personal belongings such as posters and pictures, and fishing equipment were given over to the space, and conversations around the identity of each item as an extension of its owner ensued. Fast-forward to 2017, the year of the work’s third showing, and Boeung Kak Lake, though having been completely filled with sand since 2015, remains an inactive development site. Nothing but a large expanse of sand exists in the lake’s place. As a mini anthropological ‘museum’ that stood in the midst of ongoing pseudo gentrification, ‘Hut’s Tep Soda Chan’ played and continues to play an important role in documenting the effects of economic and social change in Cambodia in the private, public, and urban spheres, and also highlights the status of artists and their role in the community.
