ຂປລ
What if cultural heritage were not something to be viewed quietly from behind a rope, but something visitors could hear, touch, taste, play and experience for themselves?
That is the idea behind the Cultural Narrative Immersive Art Exhibition, which opened to the public on 21 August at Mamaison on Samsanthai Road, in front of Namphou. Produced by KLP Group Sole Co., Ltd. under the creative direction of Ms Khamly Philavong, the exhibition brings Lao culture and everyday stories to life through art, photography, spatial installation, food, music and traditional games.
The first zone introduces characters through visual artworks inspired by community experiences, local traditions and everyday life.
Its guiding message — “Experience, Connect, Preserve” — captures the exhibition’s central belief: cultural heritage remains alive when people actively experience it and pass it from one generation to the next.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mr Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani, UNICEF Country Representative to Lao PDR, senior officials, representatives of embassies, organisations and international organisations.
Speaking at the opening, Mr Durrani described the exhibition as a reflection of cultural memories and living traditions that continue to connect generations. He emphasised that the exhibition goes beyond simply presenting culture, bringing together real stories of people, families, communities and children through a cinematic approach.
“At the heart of this story are children — how they play, how they learn, how they grow and how they experience life within their homes and communities,” he noted, highlighting the importance of children’s rights, particularly their right to play, learn, grow and develop.
For Ms Khamly Philavong, the exhibition transforms Lao storytelling into an immersive experience through spatial installation, visual composition and symbolism. Photographs by collaborating photographers, including images documenting local communities, are woven into the exhibition as both records of real life and artistic interpretations.
The exhibition unfolds across three zones. The first introduces characters through visual artworks inspired by community experiences, local traditions and everyday life. The second recreates the atmosphere of a Lao festival through light, colour, sound and spatial design. The third focuses on food, cooking implements, household objects and children’s play — presenting play not merely as entertainment, but as a form of cultural expression and living intangible heritage.
The opening ceremony also featured live khaen performances, celebrating an important Lao musical tradition inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, alongside what the organisers call the Heritage Games of Childhood.
The exhibition is free and open to the public, welcoming families, artists, students, cultural institutions and members of the wider community to experience Lao heritage in a different way — not simply by looking, but by taking part.
KPL
