Staring across at the rolling currents of the Tonle Sap, we are reminded of the dynamic, sometimes confusing pace of development that Cambodia is going through. The arts are no exception.

According to Nico however, there's method in the madness. "Contemporary art is a marker of development", Nico says. "Expressive art forms are crucial to the development of society, especially in Cambodia where individuals are desperate for a voice. At the Meta House, we foster an environment of self expression and critical thinking which is important for Cambodian society", he adds.

Most agree Nico is living up to his mission.

In January 2007, the German film-maker and his Cambodian team opened Phnom Penh's Meta House, Cambodia's first art, communication and media center, in association with the International Academy at the Free University in Berlin. Boasting more than 100 square meters of art exhibition space and an open-air media lounge on the rooftop overlooking Phnom Penh, the three storey gallery offers creative and living space for local and international artists to articulate their creativity.

Assisting him are an impressive collection of corporate benefactors attached to the Meta House, including the German Cultural Foundation Goethe Institute, which offer ongoing support.

Add to that a plethora of partnerships with international universities, galleries and NGO's - and it's fair to say that Cambodia's creative undercurrents are being well-managed under the watchful eye of the effusive and charismatic German.

"Certainly, there are challenges ahead", says Nico. "Under-representation of talented artists is an issue. Cambodia's (understandable) focus on economic development is frequently at the expense of its creative talents".

In the past, local artists have had little to guide them in terms of innovation.

Traditional visual arts in Cambodia reflect the essential conservatism of Khmers. Ancient themes have been mostly preferred, and there were rarely opportunities to improve or adapt. The principal crafts were weaving, silver and gold works, jewellery, and wood and stone carvings. However, as journalist Robert Turnbull writes of Cambodia, "after independence in 1953, and the influences of foreign teachers in the capital, young art students were introduced to the Post-Impressionist styles of Gauguin and Picasso, and to a range of new media from gouache to crayon and oil. "Sadly," Robert Turnbull adds, "the subsequent wars put an end to that: ninety percent of artists either left Cambodia or died during the civil wars of the 1970's. It will take years to revive that level of activity".

Nico aims to assist in that revival, and also fuse ancient creative traditions with modern influences. "In recent years, the efforts of Cambodian artists, both in Cambodia and abroad, have brought about a resurgence of both classical and contemporary Khmer art. The arts play an important role in helping Cambodians reclaim their heritage. The role of the Meta House is to help local artists heal their souls, whilst also engaging them in the emerging renaissance", he says.

One such local artist is Sokuntevy Oeur, the female artist from Battambang who had residence in the Meta House, and who successfully fuses ancient Khmer with modern textures to create paintings, masks and sculptures which genuinely resonate with Picasso, and frequently sell for over $1000 a piece. Her work is currently attracting international attention.

Overseas artists who visited the Meta House include Swiss photographer, Beat Presser, who recently conducted a workshop with Cambodian and international photographers, and the rock bands 'Bear Garden' (from Thailand) and 'Diva International' (from Germany) who toured Phnom Penh in late 2007 as guests of the Meta House, and as recipients of Goethe Institute sponsorships administered by Nico.

As this friendly German leaves to return to a busy schedule, my attention turns again to the rushing waters of the Tonle Sap and the interplay of currents beneath its surface.

May 21, 2008