Danh Vo @ Kadist Art Foundation

Opening in the afternoon, from 2pm to 7pm
Saturday, May 30

Danh Vo

"Les fleurs d'intérieur"
May 30 — July 19, 2009

+ In presence of Danh Vo and Julie Ault for the presentation of the artist book they collaborated on

Buenos Aires, April 3rd 2009

To whom it may concern,
Some years ago, I was looking at some old newspapers and found among them ‘The New York Times’ from January 28, 1973. On the front page was written in large letters ‘Vietnam peace pacts signed’. And beneath the headline was a photo of the ballroom of the former Hotel Majestic, Paris. In the photo there were people sitting in a circle, like in an arena, discussing the future of Vietnam. Above the arena, the chandeliers of the ballroom were hanging and lightning up the negotiation table.

As a Vietnamese born in 1975, the year of the Fall of Saigon, I have never had firsthand experiences of the war but have been raised in the aftermath of the geopolitical conflict. In 1979 my family decided to escape from Vietnam by boat; and we were among the lucky ones to survive the trip and to receive asylum in the West. In my practice as an artist I try to research into and work with these historical events in order to understand the circumstances that have shaped my life.

Some months ago, I heard about the selling and the planned reconstruction of the building of the former Hotel Majestic, and I became very interested in looking into possibilities of exhibiting these chandeliers during the renovation of the building or acquiring them if possible. My interest for exhibiting these chandeliers is to show them as mute witnesses of an event that was ending the American involvement in the war, the war which at first was initiated by the Americans, but wasn’t yet over by the time the peace pacts were signed in Paris. The chandeliers are mute witnesses of the beginning of a tragedy that affected millions of lives all over South East Asia,and affected my personal story.

I hope for your support and collaboration to make this exhibition idea come true.

Sincerely yours,
Danh Vo