What's On

ROAMCambodia

Photography by Simon Toffanello

"Simon Toffanello has lived in Cambodia for the past three years and has toured extensively through it's untravelled lands. His ongoing "Roam Cambodia" project reflects that journey and adventure in an innocent developing country, an often humorous land of contradictions and paradoxes.

The photographs presented here are primarily concerned with a sense of place, space and atmosphere, of simply being there in an unfamiliar landscape, modern Cambodia as seen by an outsider. These images positively steer away from social documentary photography, this is travel photography less travelled, revealing the colour of ordinariness in a country as it is reborn from a dark history.

Simon Toffanello studied fine art and filmmaking at St Martins College of Art in London, his still images echo a cinematic feel, fragments of a narrative, life captured in one image that draw you to visualize what came before or might come in the next. His double and triptych photographs are reminiscent of magazine photo stories or split-screen movies, simple pictorial time jumps of varying lengths that encourage the viewer to fill in the time gaps.

After completing his degree Simon went on to make award winning short films that played at film festivals in Europe and the UK before concentrating on still photography. He has also helped to start, managed and taught a tri-weekly photography class to university students in Phnom Penh, culminating in successful end of course exhibits by students not previously interested in photography. Simon currently lives and works in Phnom Penh combining his personal projects with commercial work".

Originally scheduled to open Wenesday, October 12, ROAMCambodia will open Friday, October 21, 6 – 9 pm.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience.  We hope that you will join us next week at the opening where Simon will make a one-time presentation of his complete portfolio in addition to the exhibition display.

Java Café & Gallery

56 E1 Sihanouk Blvd

012-833-512, 023-987-420