Miguel Jeronimo presents Smells Like Kin Spirit, a photographic exhibition focusing on the Kui indigenous community of Kampong Thom, opening May 31 at Maloop Garden in Phnom Penh. Supplied
Cambodia is set to join a groundbreaking global digital art event, Project/Forward: 2049, on May 30-31. The project will see public spaces across Phnom Penh, Battambang, Kampot and Kampong Thom transformed into ephemeral canvases of future imaginings.
Part of an international initiative by the award-winning arts organization Micro Galleries, Project/Forward: 2049 radically reimagines how digital art is experienced in public spaces.
It transforms everyday surfaces — from ancient temple walls to modern sidewalks — into free, globally distributed galleries that showcase visionary moving images.
In this moment of profound global transition, where society stands at the crossroads between crisis and possibility, the project opens portals into imagined futures through digital and new media art.
The festival’s carefully curated 60-minute programme features works from 30 international artists, each responding to the provocative question: What if artists were tasked with designing our future world?
The projections range from intimate 10-second glimpses to expansive 3-minute explorations, showcasing diverse global perspectives on how we might live, what our values could become and how our environments might evolve for the better.
The initiative specifically targets underserved communities and spaces where digital art rarely ventures, democratising access to contemporary art forms.
Miguel Jeronimo, Cambodia screening director for the project, highlights this inclusive vision.
“In this moment of global transitions and crisis, it’s crucial to consider how we might want our communities and our world to look and be like in the future — bringing everyone together, not just those who visit galleries or creative spaces,” he says.
“We hope people from all walks of life will enjoy the screenings in streets, gardens, and community spaces, building moments of connection and re-imagination,” he continues.
Adding depth to the festival, Jeronimo presents Smells Like Kin Spirit, a photographic exhibition focusing on the Kui indigenous community of Kampong Thom.
Opening May 31 at Maloop Garden in Phnom Penh, this immersive project honours the deep spiritual and ecological connection the Kui people maintain with their ancestral forest home.
Through intimate portraits and evocative landscapes, Jeronimo invites viewers to reflect on their own relationship with nature, inspired by a culture that treats trees as family and listens to the land’s quiet voice.
This marks the fourth edition of Project/Forward, which has previously featured 117 artists and reached audiences exceeding 500,000 people across 22 countries.
“In a time where our digital world is moving at warp speed, countless communities are still waiting for an invitation to the digital art party. With creative tech spending rocketing toward $3 trillion there's a glaring disconnect between who creates our digital future and who actually gets to see it. We want to be part of changing that,” states Micro Galleries artistic director Kat Roma Greer.
“It's not just art – it's an invitation for everyone to join the conversation about where we're headed next,” adds Jeronimo.
Screenings will take place in diverse locations including Maloop Garden, Leng Dei urban community farm, Art Home by Khun Vannak, Pteah Chas community, KFG Gym & Aokas Cafe Alleyway in Phnom Penh, plus venues in Kampot, Battambang and Kampong Thom.
The event is free and open to the public, encouraging drop-ins anytime during the screening hours.
For more information, visit microgalleries.org/projectforward.
