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- Dinh Q. Le's First Solo Exhibition Looks at Past, Present and Future
Dinh Q. Le's First Solo Exhibition Looks at Past, Present and Future
October 02, 2015
"Dinh Q. Le: Memory for Tomorrow" is on exhibition at the Mori Art Museum through October 12.
Dinh Q. Le Untitled (Paramount) 2003 Collection: Ann and Mel Schaffer Family, New York Photo courtesy: Bellevue Arts Museum, WA
Dinh Q. Le The Farmers and the Helicopters 2006 Installation view: "Dinh Q. Le: Memory for Tomorrow," Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2015 Photo: Nagare Satoshi Photo courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Even though it has been at Mori Art Museum since late July, I just recently got a chance to see "Dinh Q. Lê: Memory for Tomorrow," and can now say that it is definitely worth a visit before it closes on October 12. I wasn't all that familiar with the artist prior to visiting the exhibit, but I was immediately engrossed in his multimedia works inspired by Vietnam's history and culture.
The first room of the exhibition focuses on Lês tapestries made by weaving together strips of photographs, a technique inspired by traditional Vietnamese grass mat weaving. The works weave together photos of the Vietnam War with other contrasting images, such as ones from Hollywood movies. It's an interesting nod to Lê's own bicultural life, having been born in Vietnam and raised largely in the United States.
In addition to photography, "Memory for Tomorrow" includes several video installations, which are captivating to watch. One focuses on helicopters, with many Vietnamese sharing their impressions of the machines, as formed during the war. These reactions are placed alongside the story of a farmer who endeavored to make his own helicopter. Also interesting are the contrasting stories depicted in two other video works, one of which focuses on artists who drew scenes and soldiers from the war, and another that follows artist Tran Trung Tin's disillusionment with, and eventual departure from, the communist party.
While Lê's exhibition is educational from a historic and cultural point of view, it also provokes deep thought on the present and future of our society. If you have a chance to see it, I highly recommend it!
Kelly