Top Contemporary Art Spaces in Phnom Penh

Contemporary art, the so-called art “happening today”, is still in infant stage in Cambodia, where the
entire field had almost been destroyed by the civil war and Khmer Rouge, with relatively few artists and
curators. However, thanks to the government’s attempt to improve its art scene, contemporary art has,
little by little, been creating its spheres in the country, especially in Phnom Penh.

If you are a fan of such form of art, here are some of the best places in the capital where you can admire
it.

JAVA CAFÉ AND GALLERY

Occupied a two-story café in a colonial building near the independent Monument, Java Café and Gallery
offers the customers, in addition to its western-style breakfast and coffee, the chance to view the
contemporary artworks, including .paintings, sculptures and photographs. Its Creative Generation
program offers creative young Cambodian artists the resources to produce their first solo exhibitions
while the café regularly holds curated exhibitions and performances featuring artist living and working in
the Kingdom. Meanwhile, its relaxing and serene atmosphere is also a perfect place to bring your book to
read or laptop to do some work peacefully.

56 Sihanouk Blvd, Samdach Preah Sihanouk Boulevard

Opening: Everyday, 7am-10pm

KBACH GALLERY
Kbach Gallery supports and promotes urban and street arts, which are very new in Cambodia. Located on
Street 178, considered the hub of the local art community, the gallery offers a venue for artists to
showcase their works and also promote them through the international art market. Containing spacious
exhibition rooms on the wall of which various contemporary artworks hang, Kbach Gallery also has also
hosted a number of social events and competition for artists.

42E Preah Ang Makhak Vann St. 178

Opening: Everyday, 10am-5pm

META HOUSE
From the outside, the Meta House I just a normal house on Sothearos Blvd,, but in fact it even won the
2016 Award For the Best Contemporary Arts Centre. Founded by German filmmaker Nico Mesterharm in
2007, it houses a ground-floor gallery, which has been the venue of number solo and joint exhibition
featuring artists from around the world. On the second floor, Meta House has a bar/diner, where DJs
regular plays in the evening and a space to host a workshop, talk and film screening.

37 Sothearos Boulevard
Opening: 8am-6pm, closed, on Monday

INSTITUT FRANÇAIS DU CAMBODGE

When it was opened in 1992, Institut Français Du Cambodge, then known as Centre Culturel Français,
was the first art centre to be reopened in Cambodia after decades of war. Housing a minimalist-style
building and garden, the institute regularly hosts exhibitions, workshops and classes, live entertainment,
screenings and mini festivals. Among the artists who put on an exhibition at IFC is Pich Sopeap, one of
the top Cambodian-American contemporary artists on today’s scene, with his sculpture being displayed in
famous museums such as the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

218 Street 184

Opening: 8am-9am,