Cambodia: Art for Kep — Reinventing art in the flow of sea and culture

In a constantly evolving world, art remains a universal language that reflects, questions, and transforms our relationship to reality. In Kep, a small coastal haven of Cambodia, a new artistic dynamic is blossoming — driven by a bold vision and a deep commitment to nature and the local community.

It is in this unique setting that Art for Kep is inscribed — a residency program inviting artists to push the boundaries of creation, to soak in the cultural and environmental riches, and to redefine the very role of art today. This initiative, launched by the foundations behind Knai Bang Chatt and Kep West, embodies an invitation to dream, to dare — to create differently.

According to Jef Moons, founder of Knai Bang Chatt, Kep West and Art for Kep:

“Art never follows a straight path; it moves, transforms and dialogues with the world around it. At Knai Bang Chatt, we are convinced that the next creative breakthrough will not come from a single institution or an isolated medium, but from artists who appropriate their own narratives, transcend limits, and forge works rooted in authentic experiences — with the sea, the community, and the rich cultural landscape of Cambodia.”

Already, this is happening here, in Kep. Thanks to Art for Kep, artists are going beyond conventional exhibition spaces to invent innovative collaborations. The coast becomes a studio, the community a public and a partner, conservation an act of creation. The real revolution lies not only in the way art is produced — but in the support given to the artists.

Art for Kep offers a platform where emerging and established creators work with full freedom: accommodation and dedicated studios, deep cultural immersion, and the latitude to develop practices that inspire environmental responsibility and social relevance. Residency programs are now open to all — local or international artists, beginners or experienced.

Each month, up to three artists join for several weeks (duration adapts to the project proposed). They are provided with dedicated studios and on-site accommodation, full access to the facilities of Knai Bang Chatt and Kep West — ideal to dive into ambitious, non-commercial works.

For galleries, curators and institutions, this space offers artists the opportunity to build new collections, connect with the Southeast-Asian cultural landscape, and weave stories deeply rooted in place. It should be noted: we do not “represent” artists — we simply support them.

Art for Kep is not an isolated project: it propels a broader cultural ecosystem, laying the foundations for the future Southeast-Asian Oceanic Gallery of Kep — a bold museum and a submerged art space dedicated to art, ecology and marine regeneration.

Are you an artist searching for a haven to meditate, reimagine, and invent the unprecedented? Here is your invitation.

Visit art4kep.org, create your profile and submit your residency proposal. See you soon in beautiful Kep.