“The task of obtaining redress (by vengeance or by forgiveness) will be taken over by forgetting. No one will redress the wrongs that have been done, but all wrongs will be forgotten,” Czech author Milan Kundera writes.1 Whether it is possible to forgive, or even to forget, for people who survived the Cambodian genocide and what role artistic practices may play in this process are the challenging questions that art historian Boreth Ly addresses in Traces of Trauma. There is a thriving contemporary art scene in Cambodia that emerged in the 2000s. Its representatives have shown their work at biennials and exhibitions worldwide, opening the way for a new generation of artists in Cambodia and familiarizing the international public with the country's social and environmental issues. Yet, the literature on the subject is still surprisingly limited, especially when it comes to the relationship between art, extreme violence, trauma,...
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