“Hidden”: book presentation and in conversation

Photographer Charles Fox and Open Eye Gallery’s Head of social practice Tadhg Devlin discuss the themes of Fox’s recent collaborative book.

“Hidden” is a result of a long-term dialog between Fox and Prum Sisaphantha (Pantha) and the journey she made through the Khmer Rouge (1975–1979) landscape carrying over 90 family photographs.

The work attempts to articulate both the journey and the narrative, but also as an artifact which has been part prompt in the dialog, and a continued site of production and representation of the journey. When displayed the book unfolds along a line which was created by a GPS recording of the recreation of the journey. During this recreation Pantha wrote of her experience during the Khmer Rouge. The writing in Khmer has been translated into English. As the photographs were hidden during the Khmer Rouge, the book also conceals elements of the photographs in response to the absence of photography through shifting political complications.

The book will also be on display. Guests will have a chance for informal discussions with both Fox and Devlin.

Prum Sisaphantha was a dancer in western ballet. She has taught both Russian and English language, and specialises in teaching Khmer language for foreigners.

Charles Fox engages with photography from a cross-disciplinary background in journalism, participatory and collaborative practices, and academic research, with nearly 20 years of experience working internationally and in the UK.