History, Reimagined

A Vietnamese artist puts her spin on her country’s storied past on a global stage.

- Caroline Suganda

UNDER THE WINTER SUN, in Kulturforum, Berlin, Thao-Nguyen Phan, a 31-year-old Vietnamese artist was about to open her first solo exhibition on a global stage for the first time. While her name might be familiar to some of us here in Singapore (she’s a degree graduate from Lasalle College of the Arts, had a short stint as an artist in residence in NTU Centre for Contemporary Art at Gillman Barracks, and her latest video work, “Tropical Siesta”, which is a part of the show exhibited here in Berlin, is currently on show at the Esplanade until 8 April), her name is almost unheard of in the rest of the world. She was accompanied by her mentor, a veteran in her industry, the legendary Joan Jonas. 

Phan had been working very closely with Jonas, who is considered one of the most important female visual artists to emerge in the late ’60s. As a pioneer of video and performance art, her work feels right at home in the theatre, as much as it is in a museum. Her current exhibition at the Tate Modern in London, which runs till August, will include her performing on certain nights.  

Jonas and Phan did not meet by chance. They were brought together with the help of Rolex’s ongoing philanthropic programme, Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. “I chose her out of the three finalists given to me [by Rolex],” said the artist, who’s in her 80s. A big fan of Asian art, she was charmed by Phan’s paintings.