Siden

Siden wanted to be photographed somewhere green, in the middle of Khon Kaen University. We met at a nearby coffee shop and walked from there, looking for the place he had in mind. It was not our first encounter: I had photographed him a few days earlier with the KULTX collective, but this time it was all about him.

He chose this location because he often comes here to walk and meditate. The greenery gives him a sense of peace, and he wanted the photographs to capture something of that state of mind. There is also something familiar about this landscape. Khon Kaen reminds him of Kampot, and of the Phnom Penh of his childhood, when the city was still surrounded by nature rather than towers.

Siden Kong grew up in Phnom Penh and initially studied interior design. A photography class during university changed his direction, leading him towards contemporary art and eventually Sa Sa Art Projects, where he became a student, intern and member.

His relationship with Khon Kaen began in 2023, when he came for S.O.E. We Trade Everything, organised by KULTX. A one-week visit led to a residency the following year, and then to a longer stay. Over almost two years, he became part of KULTX, taught at Khon Kaen University and gradually made a place for himself in the city.

Siden works across photography, video and installation, often using light, found materials and elements of the landscape itself. His work was already concerned with environmental change and the effects of development, but living in Khon Kaen gave him another place through which to explore those ideas. He sees parallels with Phnom Penh: two cities changing quickly, where buildings, waterways and green spaces can disappear along the way.

When we met, Siden was getting ready to leave Khon Kaen. After almost two years, he felt he had been there long enough and wanted to take what he had experienced back to Phnom Penh. I made one last portrait of him by the roadside, against a tree, on a campus where green space still dominates the landscape, at least for now.