Thao Nguyen Phan

Thao Nguyen Phan

Curated by Lucia Aspesi and Fiammetta Griccioli

Thao Nguyen Phan’s (b. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 1987; lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City) practice encompasses video, installation, drawing and painting through which she retraces historical events related to the turbulent history of her native country, intertwining them with literature, philosophy, and daily life. Evoking dreamlike imagery to address environmental and social changes related to the exploitation of natural resources, her artistic language fuses fairy-tales and folk traditions to reflect upon the consumption and colonization of the landscape.
The show in Pirelli HangarBicocca will be a unique occasion to present Thao Nguyen Phan’s work to an Italian and international audience and to reveal her distinctive approach to moving image. Conjuring forgotten histories, ghostly presences and lush landscapes, the exhibition will give shape to cycles of life both spiritual and natural.

Thao Nguyen Phan Tropical Siesta, 2017 Double-channel synchronised video, color, sound, 13' 41'', loop Installation view, WIELS, Brussels, 2020 Courtesy the artist and WIELS, Brussels Photo Thao Nguyen Phan

Thao Nguyen Phan March on a Honda Dream from Dream of March and August, 2020 Watercolor and pigment on natural silk 60 x 80 cm Courtesy the artist Photo Truong Minh Tuan

Thao Nguyen Phan “Monsoon Melody,” exhibition view, WIELS, Brussels, 2020 Courtesy the artist and and WIELS, Brussels Photo Philippe De Gobert

Thao Nguyen Phan Tropical Siesta, 2017 (video still) Double-channel synchronised video, color, sound, 13' 41'', loop Courtesy the artist

Thao Nguyen Phan has exhibited internationally, with solo and group shows including Tate St Ives (upcoming 2022); Kochi-
Muziris Biennale, New Museum Triennial, New York, MOMENTA Biennale de l’image, Montréal (2021); WIELS, Brussels, and Chisenhale Gallery, London (2020); Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai, Lyon Biennale, and Sharjah Biennial (2019); Dhaka Art Summit, and Para Site, Hong Kong (2018); Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, and Nha San Collective, Hanoi (2017); and Bétonsalon (Paris, 2016), among others.
She is a 2016-2017 Rolex Protégée, mentored by internationally acclaimed, New York-based, performance and video artist, Joan Jonas. Phan was shortlisted for the 2019 Hugo Boss Asia Art Award and the recipient of the Han Nefkens Foundation – LOOP Barcelona Video Art Award 2018.
Thao Nguyen Phan is also co-founder of the collective Art Labor, which explores cross-disciplinary practices and develops art projects that benefit the local community.