Asia After Dark | Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean at National Museum of Asian Art – Washington, DC

Register in advance to get the best experience.

Join us afterhours to experience the largest bronze ever cast in Southeast Asia, enriched by spotlight talks and followed by a dance performance, a short film screening, and an artist conversation. This event celebrates our exhibition Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean!

Get exclusive insights on this monumental masterpiece of Cambodian artistry through spotlight talks by curator Emma Natalya Stein, filmmaker praCh Ly, and professor Vasudha Narayanan. Then enjoy the dance performance choreographed by Sophiline Cheam Shapiro and inspired by the bronze Vishnu. Watch a special screening of the short film by Cambodian American director praCh Ly about the present-day community of the bronze’s original temple. And finish off the night with a conversation with the filmmaker, the choreographer, and the curator.

Schedule

In-Gallery Spotlight Talks

Gallery 22a

5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Dance performance ផ្គុំ/PKUM

Meyer Auditorium

7:30 p.m.

Screening of Awkun

Meyer Auditorium

8:00 p.m.

Conversation with Sophiline Cheam Shapiro and praCh Ly

Moderated by Emma Natalya Stein

Meyer Auditorium

8:15 p.m.

The galleries will remain open until 7:30 p.m. so attendees can view the sculpture’s full monumental scale.

Sophiline Cheam Shapiro is an internationally recognized choreographer, dancer, director, and educator whose work has helped shape Cambodian dance for the 21st century. Born in Phnom Penh, she was among the first generation to enroll at the School of Fine Arts following the fall of the Khmer Rouge, studying directly under surviving masters of the Royal Ballet tradition. Her commissions include those from the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process series, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Vienna’s New Crowned Hope Festival. She is the recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship, USA Knight Fellowship, and the Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture among other honors.

praCh Ly is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and performer. Named “The First Cambodian Rap Star“ by Newsweek after his debut became the country’s first #1 rap album, his career spans music, film, and education. His lyrics are utilized globally as educational tools within academic publications and Southeast Asian Studies programs. His film credits include original music for the 2010 documentary Enemies of the People and producing In the Life of Music (2019), which served as Cambodia’s official Oscar selection.

He is the co-founder of Cambodia Town Film Festival (CTFF) and is the first rapper in the Long Beach Symphony’s 90-year history to write, direct, and perform with the ensemble. His recent directorial works include Satook (2022) and AwKun (2026) for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.

Vasudha Narayanan is Distinguished Professor, Department of Religion, at the University of Florida and a past President of the American Academy of Religion (2001-2002). She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023. She is currently working on Hindu temples in Cambodia and on the image of the reclining Vishnu in India and Southeast Asia. Her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from several organizations including the Centre for Khmer Studies, the American Council of Learned Societies, National Endowment for the Humanities, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, American Institute of Indian Studies, and the Social Science Research Council.

Emma Natalya Stein is Jeffrey P. Cunard Curator of Southeast Asian Art at the National Museum of Asian Art. Her exhibitions include Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean; Prehistoric Spirals: Earthenware from Thailand; Revealing Krishna: Journey to Cambodia’s Sacred Mountain; and The Art of Knowing in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas. She is author of the monograph Constructing Kanchi: City of Infinite Temples (2021) and articles on topics including yoginis, temple networks, and cultural heritage. She currently serves on the boards of the American Council for Southern Asian Art and the journal Ars Orientalis. She regularly conducts fieldwork in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and contributes to workshops, conferences, and collaborative projects.

About the Performance
The title of this piece, ផ្គុំ/PKUM, means “putting together” in Khmer. It is a 30-minute lakhaon santhenea (conversation & performance) scored with both traditional and newly composed pin peat music. The choreography interprets the iconic tableau of Vishnu floating on the cosmic ocean. ផ្គុំ/PKUM explores fluidity and stillness, serpentine motion, fragmentation and reassembly, Lakshmi’s harmonizing presence, and cosmic unity as a fleeting resolution of fragments.

The genre of lakhaon santhenea blends classical Cambodian dance vocabulary, narration and demonstration. It illuminates theme, context, process, and intimate staging.

Credits
Choreography, Direction and Performance by Sophiline Cheam-Shapiro

Music composition by Sophat Phatt and Dalik Sorn.

Musicians:

Roneat Ek (High pitch xylophone) and Roneat Thong (Low pitch xylophone) by Sophat Satsya

Kong Vong Thom (Low pitch circle gong) by Narim Sampors

Kseideav (One-string gourd instrument) by Sambo Meas

Sampoh (Small double-headed Drum) and Skor Thom (Large double-headed drums) by Sophat Phatt

Srolay (Double-ryte oboe) and Sang (Large salt-water snail shell instrument) by Dalik Sorn

Costume & Sets by Sophiline Cheam-Shapiro and Kakada Nim

Additional support for this performance comes from Nelson Hansel and Elicia Laport.

Image Credit Line
National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, photo by Robert Ferreira de Araujo, in collaboration with Guimet-National Museum of Asian Arts and the National Museum of Cambodia