PublishedinconjunctionwithVietnameseartistLyHoàngLy’sfirsteverlarge-scalesoloexhibitioninherhomecountry(co-organizedbyTheFactoryContemporaryArtsCentreandtheartist;hostedatTheFactoryContemporaryArtsCentre,HoChiMinhCity),‘0395A.ĐC’isabeautifullyillustrated,174-pagecolorcatalogpresentingseveralselectartworksspanningthedifferentstagesofLy’scareer-includingpainting,sculpture,photography,artist’sbook,videoart,performanceart,installation,anda21-tonsteelpublicartwork.UndoubtedlythefirsttobemanifestedandexhibitedpubliclyinVietnam,Ly’son-goingproject(startedin2011)andexhibition‘0395A.ĐC’chronicletheartist’stirelessinquiryintonotonlyVietnam’sturbulenthistoryofdisplacementandmigration,butalsotheglobalstruggleofhuman(im)migrationweallhavetofacetoday.DrawingonfragmentsofVietnam’s(andothercountries’)pasttalesofexodus,aswellasherownexperienceasamodern-daymigrant,Ly’sartattemptstogive‘voice’totheabsentandthemade-absent;warningusofthecontestednatureofthemakingandrememberingofhistory,whilstalsocreatingaspacetohonourthemillionsofliveswhosimilarlylongforahomethatexists,butisnolongerpossibletoreturnto.
Producedinclosecollaborationwiththeartistherself,thisdefinitivepublicationcollectsnearlytenyearsofLy’screativelabour,includingtheartist’sownwriting,notesandearlysketches;photographicandliteraryreferenceandarchivalmaterials;technicaldrawingsandphotodocumentationofthemakingof‘boathomeboat’-Ly’s21-tonsteelpublicartwork,hermostambitiouspiecetodate;anddetailandinstallationphotographyofallartworks.ThispublicationalsofeaturesanessaybythecuratoroftheexhibitionBillNguyễn,anin-depthinterviewwiththeartistbymediaproducerFabiolaBücheleandBillNguyễn,anotebydocumentary-makerandvideoartistTirtzaEven,andanafterwardbyArtisticDirectorofTheFactoryContemporaryArtsCentreZoeButt.Alltextsarebilingual,inbothEnglishandVietnamese.
ARTIST VOICE HOCHIMINHCITY IM S21 SON PHOTOGRAPHY INSTALLATION LY CO
