Definition

 

សហប្រាណ៖ symbiosis, symbiose ភាវៈរស់ពីរឬច្រើនប្រេភទែដលរស់នៅជាមួយគ្នាហើយទាញប្រយោជន៍ពីគ្នាទៅវញិ ទៅមក។ ឧ. ទំនាក់ទំនងរវាងសារាយ (coccomyxa) និងផ្សិត (omphalina) ជាសហប្រាណ។ ឧ. ទំនាក់ទំនងរវាងត្រីសមុទ្រ (clownfish) និង សារាយសមុទ្រ (sea anemone) ជាសហប្រាណ។

 

SahakPraan: symbiosis, symbiose

 

Two or more organisms that live together and benefit from each other. For example, the relationship between algae (coccomyxa) and fungi (omphalina) is a symbiosis. For example, the relationship between clownfish and sea anemone is a symbiosis.

Origin

 

sahakpraan is a term used to indicate a biological relationship between living organisms that is based on interdependence for survival. In some cases, one cannot exist without the other.

 

The work sahakbran is formed by combining two other words:

 

សហៈ “sahak” means together, or working together

 

• Sanskrit Root: सह (saha)
• Meaning in Sanskrit: "Together," "with," or "accompanied by."
• Usage in Khmer: Retains the same meaning, often used as a prefix to indicate cooperation, combination, or unity. This aligns with its Sanskrit origin, where it is commonly used to form compound words. For example, a concept of cooperation such as សហគមន (sahakkom) means "community." While a sibling relation is defined as សហ ឧទរ (sahak-outor). And សហសមយ (sahak-samai) means “contemporary” denoting the time or period in which we are together.

 

បណ: “praan” means body

 

• Sanskrit Root: प्राण (prāṇa)
• Meaning in Sanskrit: "Breath," "life force," or "vital principle."
• Usage in Khmer: The term ណ refers to the "body" or "organism," which connects to the idea of life and vitality derived from its Sanskrit origin. In Indian philosophical traditions, "prāṇa" signifies the essential life force or energy that sustains living beings. បណ has evolved to refer to the physical body or an organism but retains the deeper association with life and existence from Sanskrit.

 

Context

 

sahakpraan as “Collaborative Body":

 

Looking at the individual words that form sahakpraan and its etymological roots in Sanskrit it can also be translated to mean "collaborative body" or "shared consciousness." The word "សហ" (sahak) represents togetherness or collaboration, while " ណ" (praan) refers to the body or essence of life. Together, they form a framework for thinking about how bodies, environments, and energies interact to create meaningful connections, especially in new or unfamiliar contexts.

 

In my performance Slow Down (2023, ATrans conceptual laboratory, Berlin, Germany), I explored the contrast between pace and presence. Set in the frantic environment of a metro station, where people rushed about, the performance invited a moment of stillness. Coming from a culture where calm and composure are deeply valued, especially for women, I found myself questioning how to position myself in this fast-paced environment. Through deliberate, measured body movements, I created a reflective counterpoint to the intensity around me, using slowness as a way to bridge my internal experience with the external world. This idea of navigating and connecting opposing energies resonates with sahakpraan, as the body becomes a site of collaboration between cultural contexts, personal identity, and the shared space of human movement.

 

 

In an earlier performance The Pressure I (2018, Sa Sa Art Projects, Phnom Penh, Cambodia), I used the act of breathing (praan)—and its restriction—as a way to explore feelings of anxiety and frustration. The visible effort to draw breath underscored the pressures imposed by culture, gender roles, and politics. The performance created a visceral experience, where the body became both the site and the symbol of conflict, embodying the tension between internal resilience and external constraint.

 

 

The concept of sahakpraan offers a way to understand this work as more than individual struggle—it is a shared experience that calls on our collective responsibility to each other. Breathing (praan), a shared and symbiotic act, bridges the internal and external, and each individual with other living beings. This shared act transforms personal conflict into a broader dialogue about adaptation, persistence, and the collective effort to challenge the pressures that shape our lives.

 

In this sense, sahakpraan as a “collaborative body” emphasizes the interconnectedness of people and places, exploring the mutual influence between physical movement and the spaces we inhabit. Whether in performance or sculpture, my practice often considers how the body absorbs, responds to, and reshapes its environment.