In our current exhibition ‘Necessary Fictions’, two distinct artistic projects are presented side by side. In the center of the exhibition space, as if rising from the Earth, is ‘My Land’ by Hà Ninh Phạm. We see different paintings – at times loose, gestural and expressive; at others, structured, controlled and pictorial – depicting different geographies of an imagined world, where myth and logic illustrate the power of the make-believe, challenging what we perceive as reality. Spread on the surface of the surrounding walls are images of cloud formations, land left behind from the destruction of twin tornadoes, and eyes that peek and seem to laugh at another symbol – the daffodil. These form part of Tammy Nguyễn’s series ‘The Gazing Pool of Who and Ai’, these painted images re-working one of mankind’s oldest stories – ‘Narcissus’ by Ovid – in order to provoke more general, contemporary issues of human desire, greed and love, and the consequences these have on the way we build (and destroy) our world.
How are these two projects related to each other? What themes are they discussing? Can you ‘see’ these themes visualized in the artworks on display? Are there points of connection (or difference) between the two bodies of art work? What are the perks and difficulties of bringing together artworks by different artists, and showcasing them under the same roof in one exhibition? Join us for a tour of ‘Necessary Fictions’ with co-curator Bill Nguyễn and hear more about the ‘behind the scenes’ of the making of this exhibition.
Participating fee:
➖Adutl: 100,000VND (online); 130,000VND (at door)
➖Student (with appropriate ID): 40,000VND
*Participants of the event allow The Factory and co-organizer (if applicable) to use their images and statements as documentary for the program, for non-commercial purposes such as: archive, press, media, promotion on our website, Facebook etc