Pech Song (b. 1947, Kandal, Cambodia) holds the unique position of having been commissioned to create paintings used as propaganda by 5 successive (and opposing) political regimes in Cambodia: first for Sihanouk’s royal government in the late 1960s, then for the US-backed Lon Nol government of the Khmer Republic (1970-75), then for Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge in Democratic Kampuchea (1975-79), then for the Vietnam-backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea (1979-1989), then for Hun Sen’s post-1990s government. Song’s artistic and political flexibility, seamlessly transitioning from creating art used as propaganda from one regime to the next, is unparalleled in Cambodia’s art history. Also unparalleled is Pech Song’s ability to capture in his images the centrality of art and culture to the Vietnam-backed People’s Republic of Kampuchea (PRK) regime during the 1980s. This image shows the centrality of arts and culture to the PRK regime. The principal element in the composition is a musical troupe, playing Khmer instruments and dressed in Khmer attire. In the background, to the right, is the unmistakeable silhouette of the “Grey Building” apartments, designed by Vann Molyvann and constructed as part of the Bassac Riverfront Complex in the 1960s. A crowd of cheering masses looks on, again including workers and soldiers (identifiable by their uniforms) alongside others dressed in attire that makes them appear distinctly urban and educated. The original work was reproduced on billboards around Cambodia, and has been lost. This work was reproduced by the artist based on a photograph documenting the original work.
