Cambodia Hosts Its First Solarpunk Art Residency: Reimagining a Greener Future
Where tradition meets innovation
Kampong Thom became a creative hub in late September as nine artists from across Southeast Asia gathered for Cambodia’s first-ever Solarpunk Art Residency. Held from September 25–30, the weeklong program encouraged artists to reimagine Cambodia’s future through sustainability, community, and culture — combining ancient aesthetics and indigenous knowledge with the possibilities of green technology.
The participants, a diverse mix of emerging and established artists, both Cambodian and international, explored speculative, hopeful visions for what a sustainable future could look like. Through field trips, collaborative workshops, and creative sessions, they immersed themselves in themes such as eco-living, biomimicry, traditional crafts, and environmental spirituality.
Their experiences will culminate in an art exhibition at F3 – Friends Futures Factory in Phnom Penh on October 4, running from 12:00 to 4:00 PM. The event will also feature digital works submitted by artists from across Southeast Asia, and a special screening of short films created by students from the Department of Media Communications titled Clean Energy Stories: Student Documentaries Screening. Entry is free, with registration open online.
Art inspired by the land
The residency, hosted at Sambor Village in Kampong Thom, was as much about connection as creation. Participants visited the 6th-century Sambor Prei Kuk temples, a Kui indigenous village, and surrounding sacred forests, drawing inspiration from Cambodia’s deep spiritual relationship with nature.
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Through these experiences, artists sought to interpret how Cambodia’s past wisdom can shape sustainable futures rooted in harmony with the land.
Over five days, the artists explored Solarpunk principles, an art and literary movement that contrasts dystopian visions with optimism, community, and renewable energy. In the Cambodian context, that meant exploring ancestral patterns, local aesthetics, and climate-resilient practices to imagine how technology could evolve alongside nature rather than against it.
As one of the project’s organizers explained, “Stories and art plant seeds, fertilizing the world we want to see flourishing, greener and fairer for all. We believe it’s vital to create a Southeast Asian version of this movement, connected to our culture, aesthetics, and climate-adapted practices.”
Clean energy through creativity
The Solarpunk Art Residency is part of Clean Energy Week 2025, organized by EnergyLab Asia and MicroGalleries, in partnership with Sambor Village and Seapunk Studios. Together, these groups aim to demonstrate that sustainability is not just a technical goal but a cultural one and that art can play a vital role in visualizing positive change.
This pilot project, led by photographer and curator Miguel Jeronimo, directly engages Cambodian youth and local communities, positioning art as a tool for dialogue, awareness, and transformation. The initiative hopes to grow into an ongoing movement, cultivating a community of creatives who see Cambodia not only as a place of heritage but also as a laboratory for innovation and environmental imagination.
For more information about Clean Energy Week and the exhibition, visit cleanenergycambodia.org/cleanenergyweek or contact Miguel Jeronimo at +855 10 298 091 (Telegram & WhatsApp).
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Author: Tom Starkey
Tom Starkey is an International Development graduate from Sussex University with 12-years of experience across 4 continents, Tom's goal is that he wants to showcase his love for Cambodia, where he lives, works and now happily calls home.
