Becoming Alluvium (2019)
Becoming Alluvium by artist Thao Nguyen Phan (Vietnam) builds on her ongoing research into the Mekong River and the artists observations regarding the environmental changes surrounding it due to the expansion of agriculture, overfishing and the economic migration of farmers to urban areas, the work puts particular emphasis on the impact of environmental change and the impact on human lives.
Exploring the narrative of two boys who are killed after being caught in a catastrophic event brought about by the overflowing of a hydroelectric dam on the Mekong river causing the inundation of their villages, the boys reincarnate into inanimate and sentient forms, observing the river from various perspectives, these actions echo their experiences in life and serve as a metaphor for the river as it suffers from negligence and abuse.
Through a simultaneous mix of real and imaginary worlds, Phan proposes alternate versions of reality with her work building up a multi-layered, aesthetically thrilling, poetic narrative. Going beyond a purely historical or political point of view, the film explores current global concerns such as food security and our own ecological responsibility towards agricultural environments.
Thao Nguyên Phan’s work was commissioned as part of the Han Nefkens Foundation – Fundació Miró Video Art Production Award 2019, in collaboration with WIELS (Brussels), Chisenhale Gallery (London), and Galerie Zink (Waldkirchen).
About the Artist
Thao Nguyên Phan (b. 1987, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) is a multimedia artist whose practice encompasses video, painting and installation. Through literature, philosophy and daily life, Phan observes the ambiguities of social convention, history, and tradition.
Phan started working in film when she began her MFA in Chicago. Her works have been shown internationally in solo and group exhibitions including WIELS (Brussels, 2020), Rockbund Art Museum (Shanghai, 2019); Lyon Biennale (Lyon, 2019); Sharjah Biennial (Sharjah Art Foundation, 2019); Gemäldegalerie (Berlin, 2018); Dhaka Art Summit (2018); Para Site (Hong Kong, 2018); Factory Contemporary Art Centre (Ho Chi Minh City, 2017); Nha San Collective (Hanoi, 2017); and Bétonsalon (Paris, 2016), among others. She was shortlisted for the 2019 Hugo Boss Asia Art Award. In addition to her work as a multimedia artist, she is co-founder of the collective Art Labor, which explores cross disciplinary practices and develops art projects that benefit the local community. Thao Nguyen Phan is expanding her “theatrical fields”, including what she calls performance gesture and moving images. Phan is a 2016-2017 Rolex Protégée, mentored by internationally acclaimed, New York-based, performance and video artist, Joan Jonas.
* * *
Constructions of Truths is presented by the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), Manila in partnership with the Han Nefkens Foundation and in collaboration with Edouard Malingue Gallery, Kurimanzutto, Ruya Foundation and Silverlens.
#MCADCoT @fundhannefkens #HanNefkensFoundation
Read about the exhibition here.
Source: http://www.thaonguyenphan.com/about
Artwork: Thao Nguyên Phan, Becoming Alluvium, 2019
Stills captured from the video
Second Image courtesy of www.thaonguyenphan.com
