Art Labor, the Vietnamese Collective Remapping Colonial Legacies

The group describes its happenings, events and exhibitions as ‘seeds’, a vision that supports incremental, organic change across disciplines.

In the language of the Jarai people, who are native to the Central Highlands of Vietnam, the word ‘jua’ refers to an elemental state that exists between water and air. This dynamic term can be used in reference to a stream, cloud or breeze, and could also describe breath or the wind. It forms the title of a series of exhibitions and events organised by the collective Art Labor, who have an ephemeral and hybrid nature to them. A one-day happening (more akin to a carnival than a typical art exhibition) that took place at Saigon Botanical Garden & Zoo in July 2019 was emblematic of their practice. Available for sampling were goods from the highlands, such as freshly ground Robusta coffee, brewed via the drip method rather than the more standard instant mix for which the bean is generally used, as well as bỏng gạo ống, a snack made from popped rice. Hammocks, a common feature of the roadside rest-spots used by those travelling along the highways of the Central Highlands, were set up in relaxation corners. Invited Jarai artists made sculptures from the roots of abandoned coffee trees, drawings with coffee grounds and kites from old gunny sacks used to transport beans.

Read more: https://artreview.com/art-labour-the-collective-remapping-colonial-legacies-feature-adeline-chia/