Exhibition “Another World” by Artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai in Germany

Opening: Thursday, 3 March 2016, 7pm
Exhibition: 4–27 March 2016
Künstlerhaus Bethanien
Berlin, Germany

“Another World”, an exhibition showcasing artworks by artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai will be held from March 3 to 27 as she finishes her one-year residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien international culture center in Berlin.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai (born 1983 in Ha Tay/Vietnam, lives and works in Hue/Vietnam) holds a grant by KfW Stiftung for the International Studio Programme at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin and will be finishing her residency by showcasing her current project.

In her exploration of belonging, origin and uprootedness, Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai questions received ideas of cultural and sexual identity. While her past works often deal with the taboo issue of female sexuality in her home country, her current artistic research centers around individual vs. social, and real vs. fictitious conceptions of life.

For her recent project titled “Another World”, Nguyen Thi Thanh worked with young women in Berlin who she approached in the street, befriended and – once she had become close to them – followed back into their homes. It was there that she took on the identity of these women by imitating their gestures and appearance. As a result of adopting a new temporary identity, the artist was seemingly transformed into a different person. Her playful exploration of different roles was documented by the photographer Chi Phan in a comprehensive series of images.

Another part of the project saw the artist moving from personal to digital interaction as she created four profiles with distinct identities on an online dating site. Her other selves elicited a flood of different reactions from her male chat partners, which she later documented in a video clip. For Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, “Another World” is an altogether novel, experimental kind of work that allowed her to come into contact with complete strangers and to reflect on her own anonymity and life as a migrant in Berlin from a broader perspective.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai also participated in a one-year extensive research residency in Siem Riap Province, Cambodia in 2014. Her solo exhibition “Day by Day” emerged as the result of the residency.

Check out her website for more information and images of artworks.