Artists in Conversation: Tuan Andrew Nguyen and Thao Nguyen on The Island
- Cost
- Free | Registration required
Tickets available beginning March 17. - Event Location
- McEvoy Auditorium and YouTube
- Building
- Smithsonian American Art Museum
- Part of series
Tuan Andrew Nguyen, creator of the time-based media work, The Island, is joined by musical and visual artist Thao Nguyen to discuss their experiences as Vietnamese Americans and how their work engages with the legacies of the Vietnam War and its aftermath. The title, The Island, refers to the tiny Malaysian island of Pulau Bidong, a primary destination for Vietnamese escaping by boat after the collapse of South Vietnam in 1975. This program is presented as part of a series of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the US exit from South Vietnam.
Image credit: Tuan Andrew Nguyen, The Island, 2017, single-channel video, color, 5.1 surround sound; 42:00 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Asian Pacific American Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, 2022.51
Image credit: Tuan Andrew Nguyen, The Island, 2017, single-channel video, color, 5.1 surround sound; 42:00 minutes, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Asian Pacific American Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, 2022.51
Exhibitions
August 16, 2024–June 8, 2025
This exhibition of the Tuan Andrew Nguyen's film, The Island, is shown for the first time with Bidong Spirit I, a sculpted headdress that appears in the film.