"#$%&'()* &%$"'+,#& -./"#/0"(+.

%#$
!" $%& !'((

1he Laxl LhaL dellvers me from Lhe alrporL Lo my hoLel ln uakar ls a dlsLorLed plece of sLeel, my luggage Lhrown lnLo a booL whose lld
was precarlously supporLed by a llmbless Lree Lrunk. 1he elderly drlver speaks Lo me ln a mlxLure of Wolof and lrench and l am aL hls
mercy as he weaves hls exhausLed machlne, pasL Lhe MonumenL Lo Lhe Afrlcan 8enalssance bullL by Lhe norLh koreans, along Lhls
sLunnlng coasLllne. l am greeLed by Lhe [olly arms of a Senegalese ex-soldler who spends LhaL evenlng sharlng hls memorles of Lhe lall
of Salgon
1
, Lhe chaos on L uun sLreeL as Lhe Lanks rolled Lhrough and hls frlends who wlLhdrew home wlLh Lhelr vleLnamese wlves.
1he lmprlnL of vleLnam feels a loL closer Lhan Lhe near 36 hours lL had Laken me Lo geL Lo Senegal from Salgon
2
. Cver Lhe nexL few days,
memorles of human movemenL, forced and volunLary are shared wlLhln Lhls vlbranL arLs communlLy, lLs frlends and famllles, and l can'L
help buL Lhlnk LhaL Lhe long coasLal sLreLch of land referred as 'Lhe vleL people of Lhe SouLh,' (Lhe counLry l llve ln, vleL nam - as named
from a Chlnese perspecLlve), has long been a dlasporlc psychogeography wrlLLen from a place ouLslde of lLs presumed self.

Such psychogeographles are domesLlcally presenL ln Lhe youLh of Salgon who Look Lo Lhe clLy's sLreeLs ln 2012, ln rare governmenL-
sancLloned proLesL, agalnsL Chlna's adamanL publlc clalm Lo Lhe SpraLly lslands
3
. 1hese youngsLers knew llLLle facL behlnd Lhe hlsLorlcal
dllemma of Lhls LerrlLorlal dlspuLe buL were flred up regardless, recalllng Lhe angsL of Lhelr forbears agalnsL Chlnese lnLruslon
4
. 1hese
proLesLs followed a symbollc dance of pollLlcs ln 2011 wlLh Lhe erecLlon of a publlc rellglous monumenL
3
of 1hlch Cuang uuc, who ln
1963 self-lmmolaLed ln proLesL agalnsL Lhe Amerlcan-backed ng ulnh ulm governmenL who oppressed Lhe pracLlce of Lhe 8uddhlsL
falLh. 1hls memorlallzaLlon ls a propagandlsL maneuver Lo vlsually remlnd Lhe local of Lhe debL Amerlca owes Lo vleLnamese socleLy,
Lhough lL may also be Lo vlsually counLer-balance vleLnam's need of Amerlcan supporL ln Lhe SpraLly lsland dlspuLes. ln near comlc
conLrasL, ln 2013 LleuLenanL ham 1un - Lhe flrsL vleLnamese, lndeed, Lhe flrsL Aslan asLronauL Lo enLer space ln 1980 as parL of Lhe
SovleL unlon's !"#$%&'()'( +$($,%&- .'()'",/# program - ls named co-[udge of 'AxL Apollo Space Academy, a reallLy 1v program by
uuLch conglomeraLe and manufacLurer of AxL ueodoranL, unllever
6
, seeklng 22 lndlvlduals from across Lhe world Lo send lnLo orblL.
Whlle ln Lhe pasL he was awarded Lhe 'Crder of Lenln' and celebraLed as a naLlonal lcon, Loday, lronlcally, ham 1un's reachlng for Lhe
sLars of vleLnam's soclallsL dream ls coded ln consumer luxury klLsch. 1he ldeologlcal hero of Lhe pasL ls here remodeled, re-purposed,
re-classlfled for a world order LhaL ls no longer slncere ln lLs deslre for a non-allgned movemenL, buL lnsLead a neo-colonlal neLwork
predlcaLed on global Lrade relaLlons.

1hese are [usL a few sLorles shared wlLh me by arLlsLs ln Lhls exhlblLlon
7
whose pracLlces are drlven by and lndeed lnsplred by such
perspecLlves and neLworks beyond Lhe presumed narraLlves of naLlonhood and culLural LradlLlon LhaL sLereoLyplcally gheLLolze an
lmaglnaLlon of vleLnam wlLhln Lhe voyeurlsm of Lhe LourlsL, Lhe Lrauma of Lhe war veLeran or Lhe nosLalglc colonlal.


"
1he 'lall of Salgon' or 'LlberaLlon of Salgon' was Lhe capLure of Salgon (now called 'Po Chl Mlnh ClLy'), Lhe caplLal of SouLh vleLnam,
by Lhe eople's Army of vleLnam and Lhe naLlonal LlberaLlon lronL on 30 Aprll, 1973. 1hls evenL marked Lhe end of Lhe vleLnam War
and led Lo Lhe formal reunlflcaLlon of vleLnam as a CommunlsL sLaLe.
2
rlor 1973, Po Chl Mlnh ClLy was named 'Salgon'. Locals sLlll fondly refer and name lL 'Salgon' and l have chosen Lo follow Lhelr lead ln
Lhls LexL.
3
1he SpraLly lsland ulspuLe ls a LerrlLorlal dlspuLe over Lhe SpraLly lslands, a group of lslands ln Lhe SouLh Chlna Sea. Chlna and vleLnam
have boLh clalmed hlsLorlcal soverelgnLy of Lhls LerrlLory, whlch has slgnlflcanL oll and naLural gas reserves wlLh producLlve flshlng
lndusLrles. ubllc demonsLraLlons ln Salgon and Panol were held ln laLe 2012 ln proLesL over Chlna's saboLage of vleLnamese oll survey
boaLs and Lhe new maps lncluded ln .8.Chlna passporLs whlch lnclude an ouLllne of Lhese conLesLed lslands as Chlnese LerrlLory. ubllc
demonsLraLlons are exLremely rare occurrences ln vleLnam. See Lhe followlng sources: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asla-20636333
(accessed 12 CcLober, 2013), www.qz.com/30344/chlna-raLcheLs-up-lLs-LerrlLorlal-dlspuLes-wlLh-cheeky-new-passporLs/ (accessed 12
CcLober, 2013)
4
lrom 1118C - 938Au, vleLnam was successlvely governed by a serles of Chlnese dynasLles.
3
1hls monumenL Lo 1hlch Cuang uuc resLs on Lhe corner of nguyn ulnh Chlu and Cch Mang 1hng 1m sLreeLs ln ulsLrlcL 1, ln Po
Chl Mlnh ClLy.
6
'Axe Apollo Space Academy' ls lnlLlaLed by 'AxL', a men's personal care brand - a unllever manufacLured producL. unllever ls one of
Lhe world's leadlng suppllers of food, home and personal care producLs. lL ls one of Lhe world's flrsL genulne mulLl conglomeraLe
companles. ln Lhe 1930s, Lhls Anglo-uuLch group made lLs flrsL rlches ln palm oll for soap LhaL was produced ln Lhe 8elglan Congo under
forced labor. 1he 'Axe Apollo Space Academy' was co-ordlnaLed ln vleLnam wlLh Lhe 'Po Chl Mlnh CommunlsL ?ouLh unlon'.
www2.axeapollo.com/en_M?/ (accessed 12 CcLober, 2013),
www.LuolLrenews.vn/socleLy/8813/vleLnam-seeklng-2nd-person-Lo-fly-lnLo-space (accessed 12 CcLober, 2013)
7
lor example, 1he ropeller Croup (www.Lhe-propeller-group.com) are currenLly produclng a feaLure lengLh documenLary fllm
surroundlng LleuLenanL Ceneral ham 1un and hls represenLaLlon of vleLnam ln Lhe SovleL unlon's 'lnLercosmos 8esearch CosmonauL'
program, ln relaLlon Lo Lhe 'AxL Apollo Space Academy' and lLs Lles Lo unllever.
vleLnam ls a naLlon, buL also lL ls a memory, a symbollc landscape, LhaL has appeared ln more movles and Lelevlsed medla Lhan any
oLher global confllcL ln Lhe 20
Lh
CenLury, lLs resldual frame compressed, sLereoLyped and repeaLed Lo ease Lhe gullL of whaL ls locally
descrlbed as Lhe 'Amerlcan War'. 1he ldea of vleLnam sLands ln for a pollLlcal momenL LhaL goes beyond Lhe drawn colonlal borders of
lLs physlcallLy, whose '8aLLle of uln 8ln h''
8
ln 1934 arguably resounded as a cry for lndependence across Lhe lrench Lmplre
9
,
whose flerce reslsLance and successful guerrllla sLraLegles ln Lhe laLe 1960s agalnsL Amerlca and lLs allles were supporLed by Lhe SovleL
unlon and Chlna. vleLnam has long been a LheaLrlcal sLage for Lhe hlghly choreographed movemenLs of world pollLlcs.

1oday, vleLnam ls a deeply compllcaLed and conLradlcLory soclal landscape, whose ellLe pollLlcally conLrols Lhe boundarles of fear
wlLhln lLs communlLy, cllnglng Lo Lhe bureaucracy of Communlsm as lL frays and morphs lnLo new commerclal and culLural languages,
deflnlLlons and neLworks
10
. 1he resldue of colonlallsm ls vlsually evldenL as Lhe urban fabrlc weaves a dance beLween preservaLlon,
subslsLence and desLrucLlon, as Lhe lrench neo-classlcal landmarks are Lorn down Lo make way for luxury brand supermalls or are
resLored as facades only, repleLe wlLh klLsch sLalned-glass wlndows, such as Salgon's downLown 'Lden Mall'. vleLnam ls a place where
hlghways are creaLed ln weeks, where new flnanclal dlsLrlcLs evlcL enLlre communlLles whose ancesLral homes are noL approprlaLely
compensaLed
11
, where lnLerneL connecLlons are llghLnlng fasL and mulLlple, where an lncreaslng enLrepreneurlal eLhlc slLs slde by slde a
growLh ln lnformal economles - Lhe Slngaporean Lralned soya experL wlLh hls chlc noodle house beslde Lhe sLreeL vendor selllng new
Palphong-lnfluenced 01"- )2
34
. 1hls ls a communlLy aL once lndlfferenL and embraclng of oLherness, Laklng Lhe opporLunlLy of
Lomorrow as a %$(56/,7 Llme, as poLenLlal for renewal
13
. 1hls falLh ln Lhe fuLure ls vlsually LanLallzlng ln Lhe cunnlng chaos of domesLlc
concreLe archlLecLure, ln hues of Lurquolse and plnk LhaL sprlng up ln narrow passageways over nlghL - a repeLlLlve un-plannlng, an
lronlc mlrror of Lhe soclallsL bureaucracy LhaL seeks Lo regulaLe lLs clLlzen's wlLh procedural paperwork LhaL has llLLle guldellne.

1he arLlsLs ln Lhls exhlblLlon are a moLley crew of vlsual archlvlsLs and excavaLors. 1helr research and [uxLaposlLlon of hlsLorlcal evenLs
and soclal phenomena, relevanL Lo Lhe conLexLs Lhey concepLually and physlcally llve and Lraverse, Lrlggers a nomadlc approach Lo
vlsuallzlng facL and flcLlon. 1helr dance ln Lhe resldual space of falllng ldeologles, posL-lndusLrlallzed communlLles, heLeroLoplas and Lhe
ramlflcaLlon of represenLaLlon are careful arLlsLlc choreographles LhaL Lhey undersLand are ever ln repeaL. 1he relaLlon engaged by
Lhese arLlsLs dlsrupLs and alLers assumpLlons of PlsLory, Lhelr narraLlves hlghllghLlng Lhe affecL of movemenL as lL ls hlsLorlcally,
concepLually and physlcally enacLed and concelved. 1hese movemenLs are -,05#/,7 5n Lhe work of Lena 8ul and nguyn Puy An (eg. Lhe
sLudy of human behavlor or Lhe collecLlve as a sLraLegy of survlval), 65(87,&$6 ln Lhe work of ulnh C L and !un nguyn-PaLsushlba (eg.
Lhe pollLlcal asylum seeker, Lhe caLalogued documenL, Lhe splrlLually dlslllusloned), ,0($"# ln Lhe work of nguyn 1hl 1un and nguyn
1rlnh 1hl (eg. Lhe symbollc marklng of whaL once sLood, or whaL once Look place), and &,/(,7 ln Lhe work of 1he ropeller Croup and
1lffany Chung (eg. 1he repercusslon, Lhe spln-off, Lhe consequence).

Such movemenLs are dellberaLe arLlsLlc meLhodologles LhaL consclously quesLlon Lhe lmpacL and assumed sLrucLures of soclal conLrol,
such as Lhe archlve, enLerLalnmenL, eLhnography, psychology, monumenLallLy and behavloral sclence, Lo name buL a few. 1hey crafL

8
1he '8aLLle of uln 8ln h' (March - May 1934) Look place ln Lhe hllls of norLh WesL vleLnam aL Lhe end of Lhe llrsL lndochlna War.
Pere vlL Mlnh CommunlsL 8evoluLlonarles dramaLlcally defeaLed lrench Lroops. 1hls defeaL gave rlse Lo serlous quesLlons over Lhe
fuLure of lndochlna. lL was Lhe flrsL non-Luropean colonlal lndependence movemenL Lo succeed ln organlzed baLLle.
9
'1he greaL vlcLory of Lhe vleLnamese people aL uln 8ln h ls no longer sLrlcLly speaklng a vleLnamese vlcLory. lrom !uly, 1934
onward Lhe colonlal peoples have been asklng Lhemselves: 'WhaL musL we do Lo achleve a uln 8ln h? Pow should we go abouL lL?'
A uln 8ln h was now wlLhln reach of every colonlzed sub[ecL. 1he problem was musLerlng forces, organlzlng Lhem and seLLlng a
daLe for acLlon. 1hls pervadlng aLmosphere of vlolence affecLs noL [usL Lhe colonlzed buL also Lhe colonlzers who reallze Lhe number of
laLenL uln 8ln h's. 1he colonlal governmenLs are Lherefore grlpped ln a genulne wholesale panlc.' lranLz lanon. 'Cn vlolence' ln
9-$ :%$#&-$6 '; #-$ <,%#-. Crove ress, new ?ork, 2004, pg. 30-31. ulnh C Le's =,%%5&,6$ lnsLallaLlon ln '8esldual: ulsrupLlng
Choreographles' furLher explores Lhls perspecLlve of lanon by conslderlng Lhe Algerlan 8evoluLlon of 1934 as spurred by Lhe
vleLnamese 8aLLle of uln 8ln h, see caLalog for elaboraLlon by ur hlllppe eycam.
10
All culLural publlc acLlvlLy (whlch lncludes arL exhlblLlons, lecLures, fashlon shows, muslc concerLs) requlres llcense from Lhe MlnlsLry
of CulLure, SporL and 1ourlsm. CovernmenL parLlcularly monlLors Lhe fllm and publlshlng lndusLrles, alongslde 'blog' usage. 1he
lncreaslng dlalog beLween locals, overseas vleLnamese and ex-paL communlLles ls glvlng rlse Lo acLlvlLles LhaL lnLroduce forelgn LalenL
and ldeas Lo vleLnam's culLural calendar - Lhus challenglng offlclal caLegorles of 'culLure' wlLhln Lhe MlnlsLry's bureaucraLlc paperwork
procedure. LvenLs are ofLen censored, noL because Lhey are parLlcularly pollLlcally provocaLlve buL because Lhe governmenL clerks are
noL gulded on how Lhese new arL forms can be approved under exlsLlng pollcy. 1he MlnlsLry ls maklng lL lncreaslngly dlfflculL for
forelgners Lo hold any publlc culLural acLlvlLy across Lhe counLry.
11
CurrenLly ln Salgon, Lhe resldenLs of whaL ls now called 1h 1hlm (a new suburb across Lhe rlver from ulsLrlcL 1 and 8lnh 1hanh
ulsLrlcL) have been forclbly removed Lo make way for Lhe clLy's consLrucLlon of a new flnanclal dlsLrlcL. Many of Lhese resldenLs have
noL been approprlaLely compensaLed or accommodaLed. 1oo many now llve ln near slum condlLlons. 1hls occurrence ls noL dlscussed
wlLhln publlc medla.
12
A =1"- )2 (llLerally LranslaLes as 'bread sandwlch') ls Lyplcally served wlLh sllces of barbeque pork and vleLnamese sausage wlLh
cllanLro, chllll, plckled vegeLables, flsh sauce and cucumber. =1"- )2 ls Lyplcally sold by sLreeL vendors across vleLnam.
13
'ln Lhe Lheory of renewal processes, a parL of Lhe maLhemaLlcal Lheory of probablllLy, Lhe resldual Llme or Lhe forward recurrence
Llme ls Lhe Llme beLween any glven Llme and Lhe nexL epoch of Lhe renewal process under conslderaLlon.'
www.en.wlklpedla.org/wlkl/8esldual_Llme (accessed 14 CcLober, 2013)
hlghly sLyllzed aesLheLlcs whose lmages embrace formaLs globally famlllar and markeLable - Lhe movlng, palnLed, sculpLed and Lhe
performed. WhaL anchors and empowers Lhelr work ls Lhe sLudy of Lhe resldual, LhaL llmlnal near lnLanglble fragmenL of memory LhaL
has become almosL rooLless for lLs lack of vlsual slgnposLlng ln Loplcal llfe. 1helr arL ls Lhus consldered locally conLenLlous ln lLs sLudy of
human behavlor. 1helr soclal crlLlque of dlsparaLe hlsLorlcal relaLlon carrles perspecLlves ofLen deemed Loo provocaLlve of Lhe offlclal
local sLaLus quo. ln Lhe absence of lnLerpreLaLlve hlsLorlcal archlves and dlscurslve spaces of debaLe where Lhey llve and work
14
, Lhese
arLlsLs are akln Lo soclal sclenLlsLs, con[urlng new formulae for Lhelr movemenLs, Lhelr undersLandlng of human cause and effecL. 1hey
ploneer alLernaLe consLrucLs of whaL consLlLuLes arLlsLlc value as noL only aesLheLlc, buL as an expanded lnvesLlgaLlon of soclal relaLlon.

...

lL's Lhe nlghL before Lhe openlng of <%,(/%$, ulnh C L's largesL lnsLallaLlon Lo daLe aL Lhe Sherman ConLemporary ArL loundaLlon ln
Sydney, AusLralla and l flnd hlm cross-legged on Lhe wooden plaLform consLrucLed around and above Lhls flcLlonal archeologlcal slLe. A
loomlng movlng lmage of a 19
Lh
CenLury shlp burnlng on a desolaLe coasLllne commands Lhe space wlLh Lhe sound of wood crackllng,
flame llcklng and a howllng wlnd. 1hls vessel, a symbol of colonlal emplre, sclenLlflc dlscovery, refugee and asylum, ls ln an lncessanL
loop LhaL never seems Lo qulLe meeL lLs ulLlmaLe desLrucLlon as lLs drama repeLlLlvely unfolds above a slLe of Lraglc loss. A beached
wooden boaL hull, upLurned and seemlngly smashed ln half agalnsL myrlad rocks has come Lo resL amongsL a sea of phoLographs LhaL
have Lhelr faces Lurned down. ulnh has been placlng Lhese lmages on Lhe gallery floor for days now - quleLly ln awe of Lhe sheer wealLh
of memory ln Lhese personal, flllgree-edged, black and whlLe lnLlmaLe phoLographs lefL behlnd ln Salgon by Lhe Lhousands of SouLhern
vleLnamese who Look Lo Lhe sea followlng Lhe vlolenL declaraLlon of vleLnam as a CommunlsL sLaLe ln 1973. 1he whlr of a compuLer
scanner can be heard ln Lhe background as an archlvlsL slowly collaLes Lhese lmages and dlglLlzes Lhem onLo a dedlcaLed publlc webslLe
www.erasurearchlve.neL. 1hls collecLlon of phoLographs ls arguably Lhe only archlve of lLs klnd ln Lhe world of Lhls perlod and sadly lL ls
noL a sLory LhaL Lhe vleLnamese CommunlsL governmenL wlll publlcly permlL wlLhln lLs [urlsdlcLlon.

As a member of Lhls global communlLy who flee Lhelr homes ln rlckeLy boaLs ouL of desperaLlon, who flnd Lhemselves dlsplaced ln
refugee camps, mlsslng loved ones and sponsored/adopLed by Lhe generoslLy of oLhers, ulnh ls all Loo aware of how Lhese forced
mlgraLlons lack a human presence ln socleLy beyond sLaLlsLlcs, lmmlgraLlon pollcles and Lhe sLereoLype of an asylum seeker. ln <%,(/%$>
ulnh wonders how lL ls LhaL Lhe unlnvlLed arrlval of CapLaln Cook should be commemoraLed wlLh a repllca of hls vessel, LhaL slLs proudly
ln Sydney harbor, and yeL when a refugee boaL lands carrylng lraql and Afghan refugees lL musL be quaranLlned and desLroyed. 1hls
quesLlon of preservaLlon and reconsLrucLlon ls aL Lhe hearL of ulnh's pracLlce, whose llfe and work collecLs and re-orders resldual
arLlfacL and narraLlve, evldenced ln hls growlng personal collecLlon of vleLnamese LradlLlonal ceramlc and hls arLwork LhaL ofLen
[uxLaposes Lhe popularly medlaLed wlLh personal LesLlmony, as evldenced ln =,%%5&,6$ . ulnh ls concerned wlLh Lhe Lelllng of Lhe pasL as
chronologlcally lnLerpreLed by Lhose who have rarely endured Lhe effecLs of forced dlsplacemenL or undersLand Lhe bondage beLween
Lhose who suffer under sub[ugaLlon. <%,(/%$ offers an lnLlmaLe momenL Lo conLemplaLe Lhe relnvenLlon of ones sense of culLural
memory LhaL baLLles wlLh Lhe narraLlve of evenLs and relaLlonshlps provlded by popular medla and LradlLlonal hlsLorlcal archlves.

<%,(/%$ marks Lhe year 1973 as Lhe largesL refugee exodus faclllLaLed by an lnLernaLlonal communlLy. lL also begs Lhe rememberlng of
Lhe lnnumerable hlsLorlcal alllances and unwanLed arrlvals and deparLures LhaL are noL commonly charLed ln Lhe hlsLory books. lor
example, 1973 was also Lhe year LhaL Lhe aLheL Lao, wlLh Lhe supporL of Lhe vlL Cng, galned vlcLory ln ousLlng Lhe 8oyal Lao
CovernmenL. AlLhough lL ls rarely acknowledged, Lhe vleLnam War was ln facL a clvll war wlLh far ranglng effecLs. Slmllarly ln Laos Lhe
counLry's clvll sLrlfe became a CommunlsL cause of vlcLory. When !un nguyn-PaLsushlba was lnvlLed Lo Lake parL ln ?/5$# '; #-$ @,"6A
B%#> C85%5#/,75#D ,"6 <E$%D6,D @5;$> @/,"F G%,0,"F> @,'(
13
ln 2004, he was sLruck wlLh Lhe pllghL of young people and how slmllarly Lhe
youLh of vleLnam faced Lhe same sLruggles ln a counLry equally burdened by Lhe rapld pace of economlc reforms. Worklng wlLh Lhe
Luang rabang llne ArLs School, an educaLlonal lnsLlLuLlon seL up by Lhe lrench whose currlcula focuslng on Lhe plasLlc arLs ls also
prevalenL ln vleLnam, !un became all Loo aware of Lhe power and lure of conLemporary consumer llfe whose ob[ecLs and asplraLlons lay
ln sLark challenge of endurlng rellglous and culLural LradlLlons. ln Lhe shorL fllm 9-$ H%'/"6> #-$ +''# ,"6 #-$ B5%A 9-$ G,((5"F '; #-$
='6-5 9%$$, !un reflecLs Lhe splrlLual dlsplacemenL encounLered ln Lhe spaces beLween LradlLlonal asplraLlons and Lhe speed of modern
progress. 1hls dlsplacemenL an anxlous lamenL for Lhe pasL mlxed wlLh a deLermlned deslre for change, ls evldenced ln Lhe remnanLs of
revoluLlon, where, each mornlng young people drlll ln mlllLary sLyle for exerclse, ln Lhe boaLs LhaL drlfL down Lhe Mekong 8lver carrylng
arLlsLs wlLh Lhelr easels beyond Lhe 8uddhlsL 8odhl Lree. 1hese are symbollc elemenLs LhaL polnL Lo Lhe dllemma of soclal progress and
economlc survlval, where Lhe commlLmenLs of a splrlLual llfe are aL odds wlLh Lhe caplLallsL class sysLem. 1he narraLlve LhaL !un
choreographs encapsulaLes a communlLy LhaL lnvesLs and acLlvaLes culLural value ln Lhe rlLuallzed gesLure (eg. Lhe prayer), Lhe cosLume
(eg. LradlLlonal (5"- dress), and Lhe ob[ecL (eg. Lhe 8odhl Lree), Lhough !un places Lhese values aL odds wlLh Lhe needs and expecLaLlons
of pollLlcal and economlc reform. 1hls dllemma ls faced ln counLless lndusLrlallzlng socleLles across Lhe world. ArLlsLs have a parLlcular
role Lo play ln glvlng presence Lo Lhe experlence and ob[ecLs of Lhe dlsplaced, parLlcularly ln conLexLs llke vleLnam where Lhe dlscusslon,
collaLlon, dlsplay and uLlllzaLlon of hlsLorlcal facL and arLlfacL ls kepL ln neglecL due Lo lack of funds and LlghL SLaLe conLrol.


14
WlLhln vleLnam, Lhe ma[orlLy of publlc llbrarles are accesslble only upon approval of relevanL lnsLlLuLlonal paperwork. Such archlves
are also greaLly lacklng any vlsual or LexLual maLerlal posL 1934.
13
'CuleL of Lhe Land: ArL, SplrlLuallLy and Lveryday Llfe, Luang rabang, Laos' was an exhlblLlon pro[ecL LhaL Look place ln Luang
rabang, Laos ln 2004, curaLed by lrance Morln.
absence

1he consequence of Lhls neglecL, Lhls absence of hlsLorlcal reflecLlon, ls made evldenL ln Lhe large-scale palnLerly lnLerlors of nguyn
1hl 1un wlLh hls serles I$%5#,F$ whlch examlne Lhe vlolenL psychologlcal and physlcal afLermaLhs of a serles of soclal LranslLlons from
colonlal sub[ecLs Lhrough Lo ldeologlcal caplLallsLs. 1hls serles was lnlLlally lnsplred by Lhe palace compound of Lmperor 8ao ual,
vleLnam's lasL klng of Lhe nguyn uynasLy, who was also klng of Annam under lrench proLecLlon (1926-1947). ueslgned and bullL by
8oberL ClemenL 8ourgery ln 1933, Lhls compound ls slLuaLed ln Lhe cenLral hlghlands of vleLnam ln ualaL1 whlch was Lhe lasL seaL of
colonlal power durlng Lhe lndochlna perlod (1887-1934). Composed of Lhree palaces or vlllas, Lhls slLe ls now a popular LourlsL
'museum' ln ualaL, whlch ls also Lhe clLy where nguyn 1hl 1un currenLly llves and works. lnfluenced by ArL ueco deslgn ln sLyle of
archlLecLure and ldylllcally slLuaLed aL one of Lhe hlghesL vanLage polnLs of Lhls clLy's lush green counLryslde, Lhe characLer of Lhls slLe
speaks Lo a LurbulenL perlod of vleLnamese hlsLory LhaL ls aL once opulenL and oppresslve. 1oday Lhls 'museum' aLLempLs Lo provlde a
wlndow lnLo Lhe llfe of 8ao ual's lasL perlod ln vleLnam before hls self-lmposed exlle Lo lrance ln 1949. 1he sLyle of Lhe furnlLure ln
Lhese rooms ls WesLern and Lhe ob[ecLs chosen Lo symbollze hls relgn are faded wlLh Llme and are so generlc ln naLure LhaL lL ls dlfflculL
Lo dlscern Lhe parLlcular LasLes and llfesLyle of Lhe counLry's lasL klng. Cupboards, couches, armchalrs and a few Loken phoLographs
above Lhe flreplace are all LhaL remaln of Lhls once luxurlous home. WhaL sLruck 1hl 1un Lhe mosL abouL Lhls resldence was hls
knowledge of Lhe hlsLory of ownershlp, for lL unlquely charLs Lhe soclo-pollLlcal phases of vleLnam from colonlal, Lo lmperlal, Lo
proleLarlaL, Lo 'peLLy' bourgeols', Lo Loday's 'new acqulrers'
16
- a Lerm colned by Lhe arLlsL hlmself denoLlng Lhe burgeonlng wealLh of a
small, yeL lnfluenLlal, parL of vleLnamese socleLy LhaL are lronlcally descendanLs of Lhls hlsLorlcal proleLarlaL cause.

1he crlLlcal poeLry behlnd 1hl 1un's palnLlngs resLs ln hls [uxLaposlLlon of dlfferlng dress and pose of soclal class agalnsL a near-
forgoLLen backdrop of domesLlc ob[ecLs LhaL appear llke a false faade. 1oday, Lhls palace compound of Lmperor 8ao ual's lasL
resldency ls wlLh no publlc menLlon of lLs subsequenL or prlor owners. erhaps Lhls ls a sLraLegy ln bulldlng naLlonal prlde by euloglzlng
Lhe exlsLence of vleLnamese dynasLlc rule, whlch ls lronlc conslderlng vleLnam ls governed as a CommunlsL counLry whose ldeology
opposes such a prlvlleged class. nguyn 1hl 1un dellberaLely alludes Lo such conLradlcLlon, parLlcularly ln llghL of Lmperor 8ao ual's
palace grounds belng ln urgenL need of malnLenance, care and repalr desplLe lLs popularlLy as a LourlsL slLe. 1hrough hls own subLle
plcLorlal devlces LhaL encapsulaLe ldeas of absence, 1hl 1un quesLlons Lhe effecL of Lhese changlng power dynamlcs ln ownershlp,
prompLlng hls vlewers Lo remember Lhe role of pollLlcal lnsLlLuLlons ln Lhe changes ln soclal consclousness and culLural aLLlLudes of
socleLy. uesplLe an lncrease ln economlc means ln Lhe lasL 20 years, vleLnamese socleLy ls sLlll bllnd Lo Lhe pasL and Lhe physlcal and
psychologlcal decay of Lhe clvlc, educaLlonal and culLural sLrucLures of conLemporary vleLnam.

WhaL breeds and perpeLuaLes Lhls soclal amnesla ln vleLnam ls perhaps aLLrlbuLable Lo a predomlnanLly SLaLe-owned medla whose
ouLspoken [ournallsLs are ofLen under heavy governmenL scruLlny, whose educaLlonal sysLems lack lnLernaLlonal experLlse as well as
neLworks LhaL acLlvely engage crlLlcal and comparaLlve Lhlnklng. When nguyn 1rlnh 1hl reLurned Lo Panol ln 2007 wlLh graduaLe
degrees from Lhe uSA ln [ournallsm and fllm, her sLudy of Lhe relaLlonshlp beLween Lhese Lwo dlsclpllnes relnforced her deslre Lo
provoke Lhe orchesLraLlon of facL as a malleable space wlLhln Lhe medla. urawn Lo Lhe power of absence as ground Lo whlch flcLlon ls
glven play, 1rlnh 1hl's arL ofLen focuses on Lhe llLLle lnvesLlgaLed sLorles and memorles LhaL do noL have vlsual presence ln Lhe urban or
rural landscape. Per passlon for Lhe resldual space of LesLlmony and wlLness ls evldenced ln her .-%'"5&7$ '; , 9,8$ +$&'%6$6 JE$%
where she re-Lraced Lhe [ourney wlLh fellow arLlsL and performer, 8opha xorlgla L Puy Pong, whose khmer faLher foughL for Lhe vlL
Cng along Lhe exLremlLles of Lhe Po Chl Mlnh 1rall. lnLervlewlng local people who conLlnue Lo llve along Lhls hlsLorlc Lrade rouLe, Lhelr
[ourney was fraughL wlLh Lhe badgerlng of local offlclals who lnLerrogaLed Lhelr alms and lnLenL. 1hls experlmenLal documenLary focus
ls on Lhe reslllence of Lhe people she encounLered, desplLe Lhe Lrlals of poverLy ln Lhe afLermaLh of war. 1rlnh 1hl's memorable lmages
are of Lhe youLh who slng and dance around propagandlsL war monumenLs LhaL mark Lhe bravery of Lhe vleLnamese people - Lhe
laughLer of nlmble lnnocence agalnsL a backdrop of bronze muscle ln soclal reallsL furor. 1he recounLlng of Lhe pasL and how lL ls
represenLed ln vleLnam has been a preoccupaLlon of 1rlnh 1hl and polgnanLly evldenL ln @,"6(&,8$ ($%5$( K3. 1hls collecLlon of sLlll
phoLography, Laken from a myrlad of newspapers from across vleLnam, repeaLedly deplcLs an lnLervlewee polnLlng lnLo a non-descrlpL
landscape, adamanLly recalllng someLhlng LhaL once Look place aL LhaL parLlcular slLe. 1hese newspaper lmages accompanled arLlcles on
land dlspuLes and conflscaLlon, envlronmenLal desLrucLlon, lssues of polluLlon, pollce abuse and mosL conLroverslally, Lhe bulldlng of a
nuclear power planL. WhaL sLruck 1rlnh 1hl was Lhe near formulalc lncluslon of Lhese polnLlng flngers, Lhe near hablLual pracLlce of
deplcLlng Lhe lnLervlewee as a klnd of physlcal evldence LhaL Lhelr memory ls lndeed real.

SLudylng Lhe relaLlonshlp beLween [ournallsL and sub[ecL, beLween lnLervlewer and lnLervlewee, beLween a rullng ellLe and lLs clLlzenry,
are all duallsms examlnlng ldeas of power ln socleLy. lL ls Lhe Lenslon lnslde Lhese duallsms LhaL ls of parLlcular lnLeresL Lo Lhe arLlsLs ln
Lhls exhlblLlon who are ofLen Lhe only sleuLhs endeavorlng Lo beLLer undersLand Lhelr cause and effecL. 8ecomlng consclous of how
Lhese relaLlonshlps are aL once prlvlleged or explolLaLlve, dependenL on how Lhelr represenLaLlon and lnformaLlon ls framed and
composed ls also Lo engage quesLlons of collecLlve behavlor, Lo become more aware of how a body pollLlc ls governed and Lhrlves
17
. lor

16
Lmall conversaLlon beLween arLlsL and auLhor on 13 AugusL, 2011.
17
Lngaglng audlence awareness of Lhelr own parLlclpaLlon ln soclally quesLlonable behavlor ls evldenL ln Lhe sLaged performances of
Chlnese arLlsL, xu hen and hls 'SLarvlng of Sudan' 2008 or Lhe lnLervlews beLween arLlsL and sLrangers ln Lhe vldeo work of !apanese
arLlsL, Melro kolzuml 'Puman Cpera xxx' 2007.
Lena 8ul, her sLudy of collecLlve behavlor began ln 2012 when she was lnvlLed Lo work wlLh sclenLlsLs who were lnvesLlgaLlng Lhe llved
relaLlonshlp beLween humans and anlmals ln Lhe wake of Lhe P1n1 vlrus.

Accompanylng sclenLlsLs from Lhe Cxford Cllnlcal 8esearch unlL based aL Lhe CenLre for 1roplcal Medlclne ln Po Chl Mlnh ClLy, she
Lraveled Lo rural areas ouLslde of Lhe clLy Lo observe farmers, Lhe Lendlng of llvesLock and producLlon of anlmal produce. She was sLruck
by Lhe proxlmlLy of poulLry Lo farmers - Lhelr feaLhers, feedlng and wasLe a seamless cycle of maLerlal LhaL readlly saL slde by slde Lhe
repeLlLlve equlvalenL of human llfe.

Aware of lndusLrlal farmlng and hyglene sLandards of developed sLaLes, Lena was drawn Lo Lhe LradlLlonal pracLlce of agrlculLure across
vleLnam, of Lhe cusLomary ways of llvlng on Lhe land LhaL are sLlll belng pracLlced and Lhe lncredulous global connecLlon Lo Lhelr
acLlvlLles. Cbservlng Lhe naLure of relaLlonshlp beLween anlmal and human, Lena began Lo compare Lhe phllosophlcal and sclenLlflc
argumenL for human collecLlve behavlor. Lena wrlLes 'AL a [uncLlon wlLhouL a Lrafflc llghL, blkers ln vleLnam walL unLll Lhelr numbers
grow and aL Lhe rlghL momenL, unprompLed by any one speclflc leader, Lhey move LogeLher, creaLlng a paLhway LhaL cuLs across Lhe
sLreeL. lnsLlncLlvely, as soclal creaLures, we undersLand Lhe power ln numbers'.
18
ln 6$&$"#%,75L$6 /"5#D (see page ), Lena refers Lo Lhe
remarkable work of laln Couzln, a behavloral ecologlsL whose exploraLlon of collecLlve behavlor ln anlmals ls glvlng lnslghL lnLo Lhe
paLLerns of naLure and culLure. Mapplng Lhe paLLerns of collecLlve movemenL, Lhe rhyLhm dlscovered ln close proxlmlLy can be
parLlcularly Lraced ln Lena's begulllng hand-annoLaLed works on paper. She observes Lhe unorganlzed, unregulaLed sysLems ln her
communlLy - dual book keeplng, Lhe sLreeL pop-up buslnesses LhaL move upon pollce arrlval, Lhe use of famlly connecLlons ln buslness
LransacLlons - and ls fasclnaLed and begulled by how Lhese culLural hablLs supporL a 'CommunlsL' sLaLe. Where Lena 8ul ls drawn Lo Lhe
absLracL choreographles of collecLlve human movemenL, nguyn Puy An ls drawn Lo Lhe hablLual undersLandlng of ob[ecLs and
language wlLhln culLural LradlLlon and soclallsL values.

ln vleLnam, Lhe use of propaganda ls a SLaLe pracLlce. Cn naLlonal holldays and deaLh annlversarles, red banners wlll fly ln Lhe clLy on
sLreeL corners aLop Lelegraph posLs and blllboards laudlng offlclal moLLoes such as 'Clorlfy vleLnamese CommunlsL arLy lorever', 'Llve
and Work lollowlng CreaL uncle Po'. lor Puy An, growlng up ln Lhe counLryslde norLh of Panol, such pollLlcal messages of moral and
eLhlcal prlnclple were alLernaLlvely palnLed on walls of governmenL and prlvaLe bulldlngs. As a young boy, Lhese brlghL LexLs were as
consequenLlal as Lhe comlng of Sprlng - Lhey were expecLed, accepLed and repeLlLlve. 1he communlLy around hlm would noL Lake
pause Lo acknowledge lLs presence, lL was as lf Lhese messages were no longer lnvesLed as slgns or symbols of any meanlng. ln BMNMOP
Puy An carefully removes Lhese palnLed leLLers from Lhelr loaded ldeologlcal home and places Lhem ln Lhelr own dlscreLe box. Pe
reLurns Lhese leLLers Lo Lhelr llngulsLlc order, as lf he ls presslng Lhe facLory defaulL buLLon ln order Lo fresh Lhe sysLem agaln. Puy An
Lakes Lhese fragmenLs of language, a cruclal communlcaLlon human consLrucL, and begs us Lo look aL each form, each leLLer as a new
klnd of ob[ecL. 1hls reconLexLuallzaLlon of readlng and our lnvesLmenL ln sLandardlzed deflnlLlon ls also explored ln Lhe performaLlve
works of 'Appendlx Croup', of whlch nguyn Puy An ls a member. ln Lhese duraLlonal performances, Lhe 'Appendlx Croup' are ofLen ln
parLlcular pose or characLer - buslnessman caughL ln confuslng acLs of movlng waLer, or Lhe seemlng mundane collecLlon of a rlce
kernel from one space Lo anoLher - Lhese repeLlLlve near hablLual acLs reflecL a lack of purpose, lmaglnaLlon and human value. 1hey are
dressed Lhe same, move Lhe same, Lhlnk Lhe same, and Lhere ls a klnd of chllllng despondency, a near madness ln Lhe lack of conLexL
Lhey lnhablL. Slmllarly, ln Lhe work of boLh nguyn Puy An and Lena 8ul, Lhe represenLaLlon of conLexL ls dellberaLely made vacanL,
Lhelr forms of enqulry severed from Lhe vlsual sLereoLypes LhaL belle ldeas of vleLnamese conLemporary llfe. 1helr work begs us Lo ask
why we behave ln Lhls way, whaL ls Lhe cause and effecL of our hablLs? Are our hablLs and deslres culLurally speclflc, wlLh precedenL, or
are Lhey cross-polllnaLed from hlsLorles and narraLlves beyond Lhe boundarles of maps or Lhe expecLaLlons of LradlLlonal narraLlves?

causallLy

1lffany Chung ls an arLlsL parLlcularly fasclnaLed by how cause and effecL ls lmaglned, measured, lmaged and remembered. urawn Lo
posL-lndusLrlal / posL-confllcL landscapes, such as vleLnam, 1lbeL, !apan, Lebanon and Lhe Culf (Lo name buL a few), 1lffany carefully
pores over hlsLorlc maps, soclal sLaLlsLlcs and urban plannlng pollcles. She ls boLh fasclnaLed and appalled wlLh Lhe consequences of
such lndexlng on a human and envlronmenLal scale. Per meLlculously lnked carLographles are colorful codes LhaL hlghllghL Lhe
dlscrepancy beLween predlcLlon and acLuallLy. 1lffany compares such pollLlcal momenLs as Lhe fronLler of 1lbeL ln 1914, as dellneaLed
by Lhe 1lbeLans and by Lhe naLlonallsL Chlnese LhaL same year. 1lffany ls drawn Lo Lhe psychogeography of confllcL, Lo Lhe smaller
narraLlves and anecdoLes - as much a consequence of her own hlsLory as boaL refugee and lLlneranL Lraveler beLween !apan, vleLnam
and Lhe uSA. 8eLween Q$77M(56$ F,#-$%5"F(A %5&$ (#'%5$(> #-$ %5'#$%(> #-$ (8$,R$%(> ,"6 #-$ E'D$/%( and %5&$ 0''R ,"6 %$&58$( ';
"$&$((5#D, Lwo slngle-channel vldeo works lnLerweave hlsLorlc comparlson beLween Lhe rlce rloLs of 1918 (kome Sodo) ln !apan and Lhe
subsldy perlod (1973-86) ln vleLnam
19
. 1lffany focuses on Lhe cause of sLruggle for people as Lhelr sLaple food becomes scarce, Lhe

18
Lena 8ul. ArLlsL sLaLemenL, !une 2013.
19
'Whlle sLudylng Lhe franLlc changes ln 1okyo's urban landscape afLer Lhe 1923 CreaL kanLo earLhquake and 1943 1okyo alr ralds, l
came across a number of documenLs recordlng Lhe accounLs of Lhe 1918 rlce rloLs kome Sodo. lasclnaLed wlLh Lhe masslve proLesLs
LhaL erupLed LhroughouL !apan ln 1918, l began Lo examlne kome Sodo's causes effecLs ln order Lo draw Lhe full lmpllcaLlon of Lhls
soclal uprlslng as a 'collecLlve demand for expanded democraLlc rlghLs.' AlLhough rlce shorLages weren'L Lhe maln cause of kome Sodo,
lL brlngs Lo mlnd a slmllar perlod of rlce shorLages ln posLwar vleLnam ln Lhe laLe 1970s. SLruggllng wlLh un[usLlfled economlc
deprlvaLlon and sLrenuous soclopollLlcal condlLlons, many vleLnamese fled Lhe counLry whlle Lhe resL of Lhe people [usL endured Lhe
commodlLy wlLh whlch Lhe governmenL conLrols Lhe wlll of lLs populace. 1lffany lllusLraLes Lhls wlll as reslllenL and resourceful, as her
performers cry ouL Lhe !apanese sLaLlsLlcs of rloL, deaLh and raLlon as Lhey move a brlck backwards and forwards, Lhe ublqulLous
symbol of lnformal Lrade ln vleLnam LhaL was used Lo mark a person's place ln Lhe raLlon queue. 1hls reslllence ls also found ln her
lnLergeneraLlonal lnLervlewees who share Lhelr experlences/lnherlLed memorles of cooklng ln scarclLy and Lhe ways Lhese parLlcular
dlshes have became a klnd of nosLalglc helrloom. 1lffany's seeklng of comparaLlve soclal movemenLs Lo her own sLudy of vleLnam's
pasL ls anchored ln an awareness LhaL Lhe unlverse ls lnLerdependenL and cycllcal - lL ls noL only necessary Lo counLeracL socleLy's
myopla, buL Lo undersLand and vlsuallze Lhe consequence of lLs monopoly.

!usL as 1lffany Chung mlnes Lhe logbooks, Lhe hlsLorlcal archlves of small Lowns and Lhe burled sLaLlsLlclan assessmenLs of urban
developmenL Lo garner perspecLlves of Lhe pasL, Lo beLLer undersLand Lhe moLlvaLlon and declslons of posL-lndusLrlal, posL-confllcL
sLaLes, slmllarly '1he ropeller Croup' scour Lhe popular and pollLlcal record for cause and effecL, Lhough Lhelr focus shlfLs Lo Lhe culL of
personallLy, examlnlng Lhe represenLaLlon and ldolaLry of power ln pollLlcal and popular leadershlp wlLh S'"/)$"#,7 =75"F. 1hls scale
repllca of a Lenln monumenL (recenLly Loppled ln 8erlln) sLands bedecked wlLh a colossal gold Cuban llnk chaln - Lhls chaln wlLh
ancesLry ln Lhe !esus-head pendanLs worn by Lhe llkes of Afrlcan Amerlcan muslc and aLhleLlc sLars llke !ay-, kanye WesL and Lebron
!ames. 1o '1he ropeller Croup', whose pracLlce beLween LA and Salgon conslsLenLly seeks Lo draw parallel beLween Lhe
psychogeographles of naLlonhood, collecLlve hlsLorles and celebrlLy culLure, boLh Lenln and Lhe !esus-head pendanLs are a parL of
parLlcular sysLems LhaL are publlcly lnvesLed and empowered. lrom Lhe ldeology of soclallsm Lo Lhe frenzled hlp-hop emplre of sLyle,
Lhese sysLems of bellef supporL dlsparaLe pollLlcs. Where soclallsm's ldeologlcal presence ls lndeed fadlng and belng removed from Lhe
urban eye across Lhe world, hlp-hop ls ublqulLous as a global fashlon. lor '1he ropeller Croup', Lhey are drawn Lo how Lhese symbols
and lcons clrculaLe, how Lhelr languages are made relevanL beyond ldeas of culLural dlfference or naLlonal border. As arLlsLs who also
parLlclpaLe as producers ln Lhe commerclal world of fllm and medla producLlon, Lhelr pracLlce ls anchored ln Lhelr parLlclpaLlon and
observaLlon of medla as power sLrucLures LhaL can dlcLaLe a cause and lLs effecL. Alongslde oLher works such as Lhe vlral campalgn
T5$#",) 9-$ :'%76 9'/% or 9$7$E5(5'" .'))$%&5,7 ;'% .'))/"5(), Lhls arLlsL collecLlve weaves a cunnlng dance LhaL slLuaLes Lhelr
lmaglnaLlon ln Lhe global sphere of Lhe fuLure, challenglng Lhe presumed sLrucLures of Lrade ln ldeas and bellef, eager Lo demonsLraLe
Lhe flow of value ls noL always ln llne wlLh Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe dollar buL ln Lhe resldual lnfluences LhaL remaln ln Lhe wake of colonlal
wlLhdrawal, ldeologlcal LransformaLlon and Lhe mass usage/exposure of Lhe lnLerneL.

'8esldual: ulsrupLlng Choreographles' ls an exhlblLlon lnsplred by arLlsLs whose arLwork acLs as wlndows LhaL bursL open Lo reveal an
alLernaLe perspecLlve Lo vleLnam, or whose closed pane offers a LwlsLed, near flcLlve reflecLlon of a presenL. lL ls a collecLlon of sLorles
LhaL beg Lo be looked aL noL [usL as ob[ecLs of form and aesLheLlc challenge Lo an arLlsLlc dlsclpllne, buL more urgenLly Lhey are
courageous vlsual lnvesLlgaLlons LhaL dlsrupL Lhe choreography of PlsLory from a speclflc soclo-pollLlcal-culLural conLexL. vleLnam ls a
slLe LhaL anchors Lhese arLlsLs, lndeed molds Lhese arLlsLs' quesLlons of value, purpose and meanlng, however lL ls Lhe way Lhey make
Lhls slLe an lnLernaLlonal conLrlbuLor Lo ongolng quesLlons concernlng Lhe role and deflnlLlon of Lhe arLlsL ln socleLy LhaL ls ln need of
more aLLenLlon. 1hese arLlsLs are drlven by a responslblllLy Lo conLrlbuLe
20
, by a need Lo acknowledge Lhe resldual poLenLlal of whaL has
been lefL behlnd ln Lhe wake of pollLlcal confuslon, colonlal expulslon and caplLallsL greed. 1helr meLhods of research, collaLlon of
maLerlal, and Lhelr subsequenL framlng of facL and analysls of whaL Look place and why - all of Lhese forms of enqulry are soclally
moLlvaLed and deLermlned. 1hese arLlsLs are Lroubadours beLween pasL and presenL, movlng across physlcal and psychologlcal borders
of Llme and place LhaL spur a relaLlon, a dlfferlng perspecLlve, proposlng a cenLer and perlphery LhaL are equlvalenL. 1he concepLual
dance Lhese arLlsLs weave spurs renewal of a hlsLorlc consclousness LhaL ls, sadly, censored on a local level. 1hey are noL seeklng Lo be
acLlvlsLs dressed ln shock and provocaLlon, buL are deeply commlLLed Lo Lhe lmporLance of beauLy of form as a slLe of crlLlcal sLudy of
human behavlor and belleve Lhelr arL as narraLlve, as message maklng, ls a duLy, a form of labor, and a skllled prlvllege.

oe 8uLL, 2014

'8esldual: ulsrupLed Choreographles' ls accompanled by a full color caLalog wlLh Lhls commlssloned LexL alongslde oLhers by Colln
Cardner, ChrlsLopher Myers, 8lll nguyen, Llem 8lnh Luong nguyen, nguyen 1huy ulem, nguyen vo 1hu Puong, amela nguyen-Corey,
hlllppe eycam and nora 1aylor.

1hls exhlblLlon ls organlzed ln Lhe lrance-vleLnam ?ear, nam vleL nam hap 2013-2014



hardshlp. 1hls performance vldeo examlnes 'pollLlcs of Lhe people' Lhrough kome Sodo Lo reflecL on Lhe soclal and ldeologlcal
LransformaLlons ln early modern !apan, whlle subLly lnLerweavlng Lhe condlLlons of vleLnam durlng lLs 'black hole' perlod (1973-1986)
by uslng lLs mosL lconlc ob[ecL, Lhe brlck as props. AL Lhe Llme, brlcks were wldely used ln vleLnam Lo mark people's place whlle queulng
all day long for raLloned foods and essenLlal goods. Also, Lhe dlsplay of a brlck wlLh a paper funnel on Lop aL Lhe sldewalks was a slgnal
for 'black markeL' peLroleum vendors, whlch can sLlll be seen ln some areas of Salgon'. 1lffany Chung, ArLlsL sLaLemenL, SepLember,
2013.
20
lor example, ulnh C L, 1he ropeller Croup and 1lffany Chung founded 'San ArL' ln 2007 (www.san-arL.org), nguyn 1rlnh 1hl
founded 'Panol uoclab' ln 2009 (www.hanoldoclab.org) !un nguyn-PaLsushlba founded 'dpl cenLer' ln 2007 (www.dplcenLer.edu.vn).
All of Lhese dynamlc creaLlve lnsLlLuLlons have been crlLlcal spln-offs of each lnvolved arLlsL's pracLlce.