The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice (MAMAC) hosts the first major museum exhibition of Franco-Vietnamese artist Thu-Van Tran. Her work, imbued with her dual nationality, can be seen from today until October 1st.
From the exploration and investigation of her Franco-Vietnamese dual culture, Thu-Van Tran has created an exhibition occupying 1,000m2 on the second floor of the MAMAC. The exhibition, titled โWe Live in the Shineโ, questions the shared history of France and Vietnam, especially focusing on their past colonial relationship. The artist, with a remarkable international career, had never before had such a large museum monograph. The museum sought to highlight her unique artistic universe and the historical meaning it conveys.
Giant frescoes, floor installations, casts, photographs, drawings, videos, the artist explores the visible and invisible heritage of her two countries through various media. This heritage remains etched in language, bodies, landscapes, and imaginations. Some works have been created exclusively for this exhibition, while others are from her work over the past ten years.
In a kind of “urgency,” the artist completed part of the exhibition in situ. Such is the case with the mural paintings of “threatening and fascinating” beauty, ranging from violet to copper gold, that welcome the visitor. The museum was transformed into a true artistโs studio for several weeks.
Celebrating the Rubber Tree
In these three distinct rooms, dawn, noon, and twilight follow each other and revolve around the work of the rubber tree, the โcrying woodโ. The use of this material is highly symbolic. โWhether it appears as the precious form of trunk molds, in the ghostly trace of its leaves, in the gestures of harvest, or in the pure materiality of latex, this rubber evokes a history: that of the transformation of a landscape under the growing influence of another country.โ
On a primary level of interpretation, visitors can simply appreciate the beauty of the forms, colors, and materials used and the poetry that emerges from them. Delving deeper, Thu-Van Tran offers an allegorical approach to history. She provides her perspective on the Vietnam War (1955-1975), and reinvests it with sensitivity.
A Shared History Imbued with Colonialism
She notably addresses the conflict’s impact on the environment. For ten years, the American military sprayed 80 million liters of herbicides. These massive spreads still have consequences today on biodiversity and human health. This toxicity emanates from several of her installations throughout the exhibition: Rainbow Herbicides, Trail Dust, The Colors of Grey.
The artist explores โthe full breadth and complexity of the past. She reveals the traces of the French colonial past by showcasing casts made from sculptures glorifying the French colonial empire. With Blue Saigon, she displays a plastic tarpaulin representing Western landscapes faded over time, which was used to cover works in the streets of Saigon. Thus, she denounces the French occupation with dreamlike imagery.
