Cultural Crossroads

The architecture of Cambodia, in particular the Angkor Wat, has been the focus of countless reworkings in contemporary society through various mediums. Feeding into consumerism, the diasporas and identities represented outside of Cambodia has gone through many changes. And while I personally have never stepped foot there, one of the immediate examples that come to mind of Angkor Wat being reworked into mainstream society, is that the typical Khmer American household has a painting of Angkor Wat hanging in their living room. Mine doesn't, but apparently old family photos from way back when show that we once did (perhaps it's just a stereotype, but I digress).

Brother's souvenir from his trip to Cambodia in 2002.

In this modern digitized world, these new representations challenge how the cultural narratives and identities are being maintained. The architecture of Cambodia has been alluded to in several ways. The most prominent ones today may be replicas of its original sculptures and temples. There are people constantly trying to replicate ancient pieces, or steal the originals. Not to mention, land disputes between Thailand and Cambodia over which temple belongs to who; and what is underlying those conflicts may be the desire to pull in more tourism into the country. Notably, when something is replicated it is never quite as accurate as the original. In addition, replications cause individuals to forget the political implications, concepts, and meanings behind the respective cultures. There is a loss of ownership and sentimentality. It seems that in terms of architecture, it is replicated frequently because people feel the need to be close to it even if they cannot physically visit the country, or even identify with that particular culture. Tourist souvenirs are a good example of this. Angkor Wat, which is the only World Heritage in Cambodia, and known to be one of the most architecturally advanced temples for its time is constantly represented on T-shirts, scarves, and other trinkets. This keychain for example is an image of Angkor Wat hand-carved on a piece of clay or ceramic. The material of the key chain is unglazed, giving it a color of "authenticity" in light of its function as a souvenir.

There may be times where the repackaging of a culture is deemed appropriate, but there are times when they are not; and the creation of the Angkor Wat Putt is one such example. According to the site, the space is meant to "...provide something fun and different to do for when you're 'templed out.'" Clearly, the desire to attract more tourists has overruled the logic of preserving memory of the ancient architecture of Cambodia respectfully. The image of Cambodia's ancient temples have been inflated for the pleasures of mini-golf. Ironically, the place was opened by a Khmer family, and the scoreboard on the site only serves as illustration that quite a few tourists/expatriates spend their time here.

The diaspora of Khmer art has gone through many directions both good and bad. There are influxes of reinterpretations through architecture, visual and performing arts, and overall consumer culture. This mixture interrogates the notions of contemporary society, and also challenges people to re-empower cultural representations in order to maintain the authenticity and not misrepresent their narratives. It is important to differentiate the cultural and social traditions of these countries, which does not always happen. But when illustrated correctly, the past, present, and future can benefit; because what is left behind is a legacy that is not buried underneath the path of urbanization and saturation of consumerism.