KVT – Three Songs of Bopha Xorigia Le Huy Hoang – Part 2

SONGLINES

I have seen three brilliant songlines created by artist Bopha Xorigia Le Huy Hoang. Each of these sang the songs of where he’d come from, where he was.

Now that two months have passed since his death of cancer, just before Tet, 2014, I continue to honor the artist and these landmarks that trace a route through his personal landscape.

PART TWO: SONG OF RAIN

On a deliciously balmy spring night, 26/03/2010, Bopha Xorigia Le Huy Hoang invited guests to view an eagerly awaited installation in the undercroft gallery at Nha San Studio in suburban Hanoi

It was so beautiful that it made tears well in my eyes.

In a very brief opinion piece I said that….

‘Once upon a time beauty was central to the definition of art……..At Nha San Duc, artist Le Huy Hoang has made that definition a modern reality in his exceedingly beautiful installation, ‘Rain’………Two weeks to assemble… about a million rau cay sprouts… up to ten thousand acupuncture needles…

…..and the end result is…..BEAUTIFUL!

Like any important works of art ‘Rain’ received a mixed, critical response. Many, like me, found it overwhelmingly, breathtakingly beautiful. A few described it as far too beautiful; even contrived; theatrical? Some, expecting another strong, societal comment, expressed disappointment; maybe they saw it as inert.

I viewed it long and with awe many times during its downpour; from when it was fresh and the mustard sprouts were green and innocently rambunctious… to when patches of yellow began to spread and a perception of drought invaded its ravishing fecundity….when it was desperately sere and withering and almost too sad to be with

‘Rain’ was a perfect piece of performance art sans human performer!

‘Rain’ was Shakespearean.

For me, ‘Rain’ sang many songs. It sang the age old songs of being born and growing old

It sang of once effervescent ideologies that become rank and wither on the vine. It sang about healing and redemption. It sang about peasants and farmers. It sang of environmental causes. It sang about climate change. It sang of being stung or wounded by corruption. It sang of being eternally of the land. It sang of love and friendship………. above all it sang a song of beauty.

When artists finish something that, deep down, they know is more than just good, they often sit in solitude and contemplate it, enjoy it, meditate upon it….and wait for audience response

Rain was magnificent!

All of the songlines of Bopha Xorigia Le Huy Hoang were realized through the efforts of many friends, those that believed in the vision of this extraordinary artist.

One of these friends is Jamie Maxtone-Graham who provided many of the images I have used

Read more of KVT’s tributes to artist Le Huy Hoang:

KVT – Three Songs of Bopha Xorigia Le Huy Hoang – Part 1: Scarf
KVT – Three Songs of Bopha Xorigia Le Huy Hoang – Part 3: Wall