Exploring Public Interventions: Graffiti and Street Art as Urban Activism in Phnom Penh and the United States
Overview
This paper examines graffiti and street art as forms of public intervention in two distinct urban contexts: Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the United States. The analysis compares how artists in these locations use street art to advocate for social issues, including urban development neglect and LGBTQ+ visibility, while exploring the effectiveness and reception of these artistic interventions among diverse audiences.
What this essay covers
- Phnom Penh graffiti scene and artists Chifumi and Lisa Mam responding to urban neglect at Boeung Kak
- Generational differences in audience reception and understanding of Khmer-language street art
- United States Queer Street art movement as activism against homophobia and for public space ownership
- Jeremy Novy and LGBTQ+ visibility through street art in major US cities
- Challenges faced by marginalized street art movements including erasure and lack of public support
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Exploring Public Interventions
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Exploring Public Interventions
PHNOM PENH: "In a Rundown Phnom Penh Neighborhood, Graffiti and Street Art Thrive"
Phnom Penh is a graffiti based in Cambodia. Although the graffiti has not been common historically, it has increasingly become famous because of the city's increasing urban and networked population. In Phnom Penh, the artists performed graffiti artwork to intervene for the undeveloped nature of the city. For example, Boeung Kak in Phnom Penh, which is the largest lake in the city, is filled in and has remained undeveloped over the years (Valentine, 2017). As a result, the people living nearby were harassed, evicted, ignored, and neglected by the government. Therefore, the residential houses and abandoned buildings that the government wants to see demolished become the urban canvas for taggers in Boeung Kak.
Valentine (2017) illustrates that the two leading graffiti stars in Phnom Penh are Chifumi and Lisa Mam. The artists intervene by using the subject matter of Cambodians, such as Angkor Wat and Kbach's design. Their graffiti artwork contains "Khmer" letters, which denotes that their intended audience comprises of people who belong to the Khmer community. However, their approach is not mostly compelling and useful because some people, especially those belonging to the older generation, do not understand the artwork. For instance, Valentine (2017) explains that she had spoken with a resident who had an artwork done on the side of her house by Lisa Mam, Seth, and Peap Tarr.