Reflections in the Water by Allison Chhorn

Fortitude Valley’s Outer Space gallery will be hosting Cambodian-Australian artist Allison Chhorn for its sixth exhibition of 2025. Reflections in the Water is an immersive installation navigating the themes of memory, landscape and ancestry through the Cambodian countryside and the Mekong River.

Using fragments of archival material and recreated documentary footage, Allison invites viewers to witness the memory of her great-grandparents’ Cambodian house, no longer standing due to the continuing erosion of the Mekong. The artist uses clips of rural moments from rice planting to coconut cutting to support her poetic rendition of the memory. In this piece, the flowing unpredictability of water works as a symbol for both the destruction of flash flooding and an essential life resource. The artist’s quiet reflection of the past and the fragility of life is a haunting invitation to consider how quickly culture and memory can be swept away.

Reflections in the Water will be on display at Outer Space from August 8 to September 6, with free entry for all visitors.