HCMC – Exhibition “Dust”

Opening: Fri 22 Jun, 6 – 8 pm
Exhibition: 22 Jun – 05 Jul 2012
Galerie Quynh

From Galerie Quynh:

Galerie Quynh is pleased to present Dust, Nguyen Phuong Linh’s second solo exhibition in the gallery’s Emerging Artist Program. Initiated in 2009 to encourage young Vietnamese artists making experimental work, the program not only provides the artists with a platform to show their work, but also supports education and discourse through talks and publications. Salt (2009) was Phuong Linh’s first solo exhibition in the Emerging Artist Program.

In her latest body of work, Phuong Linh examines the traces of personal and collective memories and histories. Tied to the history of a given object or place, dust often collects on forgotten and disused objects; the accumulation of dust is a natural index of the passage of time. Phuong’s Linh’s minimalistic, yet sensuous artworks allude to the past, blurring deeply personal memories and national histories.

Dust comprises three recent works by the artist. The Dust Project, originally shown at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum during the artist’s residency in 2011, includes an array of small vials containing dust collected from various objects and different sites in Vietnam, Japan and Korea: a portrait of Ho Chi Minh, a relative’s altar, bridges crossed in three nations, cracks in destroyed homes caused by natural disasters, grave sites of soldiers, churches and numerous other sites that have been ruined or forgotten. Images of these sites documented through beautiful, muted blueprints – a printing method that is becoming obsolete with new technologies – accompany the delicate vials of dust. Like the dust Xu Bing
collected from New York’s streets following 9/11, the dust in Phuong Linh’s vials are specific to the sites where it was gathered; each vial contains dust of varying hues. Through the simple act of collecting dust, Phuong Linh reflects on the importance of revisiting history, retelling stories and renewing hope when all appears lost.

Whitescape appears like pristine white dust. Comprising two tons of white limestone powder, the work appears like a stark, ethereal landscape. Limestone, formed by the skeletons of billions of marine animals over millions of years, is mined throughout the world for construction and agricultural purposes. The limestone powder brings to mind mortality, destruction, renewal and change. The small peaks in the landscape will slowly morph and erode throughout the course of the exhibition.

Steeped in the artist’s personal memories of Hanoi, Rubber, Soap, Tobacco consists of three compressed cubes of each of these common products widely consumed by both the Vietnamese working- and middle-classes. Inspired by Yellow Star Rubber Factory, Hanoi Soap Factory and Thang Long Tobacco Factory, three prominent companies established in the 50s and 60s in Hanoi that proudly marked Vietnam’s ability to produce light industrial products for the first time, the dense cubes sit on iron stands, strong and stoic, like totems of economic power.

About Artist

Born in 1985 in Hanoi where she is also based, Nguyen Phuong Linh is one of Vietnam’s most promising young artists. She has exhibited in numerous exhibitions with recent solo shows at 3147966 cm3 mobile gallery in Thailand, Nha San Studio in Vietnam and Fukuoka Asian Art Museum in Japan. Phuong Linh has also held many international artist residencies with organizations such as Seoul Art Space, Korea, Kaman Art Foundation, Rajasthan, India and The Luggage Store, San Francisco, California, USA.

Dust is generously supported by the Danish Embassy in Hanoi’s Cultural Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF).