The New Kieu
2019

Drawing & collage with edible rice paper, threads, photographs and fabric flowers on dó paper.

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Truyện Kiều or The Tale of Kieu is an epic poem by Nguyễn Du and is considered a classical masterpiece in Vietnamese literature. In appreciation of its various translations and in reverence for the poet Nguyễn Du, the Goethe-Institut Hanoi created a series of public seminar, film screenings and a picture competition to raise the question of its contemporary interpretation and the question of today’s role and image of women in Vietnam. This series of mixed-media collage was awarded in the 'Das Mädchen K' (The New Kieu) by the Goethe-Institut Hanoi in 2019. 

 

With this, I wanted to create a series of concrete poetry in which the audience can weave in their own interpretations of women’ roles in current time with regards to domestic, political and mass-media context. I used edible rice papers as tracing papers to draw selective text and silhouettes from three film stills of Trinh T. Minh-ha’s film “Surname Viet, Given Name Nam” (1989) that was screened during the Kieu symposium. With found photographs and red threads, all elements were sewn on dó paper with transparent threads.

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In large family gatherings in Vietnam, during Tết (Lunar New Year) or in death anniversary of ancestors, the meal is often an occasion to discuss and sometimes criticize the status of the young generation, especially single females. On the other hand, the translucent edible paper is often sold in plastic packaging labelled with logos or product names referring to Vietnamese women. In addition, they feature stereotypical illustrations of females in áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) and of flowers such as red roses. At the same time, it is advertised with terms such as “ngon & dẻo” (delicious & flexible) on the package and is a frequent ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine.  

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One of the collages created an analogy between two lines from Kraftwerk's song 'Das Modell' (The Model - 1978) and the other from Hoàng Thùy Linh's song 'Em đây chẳng phải Thuý Kiều' (I am not Thúy Kiều - 2019). These are two popular songs of different eras that reflect interesting perspectives on the female fate, with much relation to the protagonist  Kiều in The Tale of Kieu.

 

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