Finally my piece on the Venice Biennale 2022 has been published by Plural Art Mag. While the piece was written in the aftermath of the opening, it came out just now, given the webmagazine’s editorial schedule.
The article is a report, as well as an overview, and it is focused on the Southeast Asian presence, which this year was much smaller compared to previous years.
“Dinh Q. Lê: Photographing the thread of memory” at the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris marks the first comprehensive introduction of Lê’s weaving work to a European audience.
The show comprises three different bodies of work from the 1990s to present day. The first section, “Light and Belief”, is focused on Vietnam, with reference to the Vietnam War and the experience of the Vietnamese diaspora. “Splendor and Darkness” looks at the genocide carried out by he Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Lastly, “Adrift in Darkness” utilises images of migrants to reflect on the tragedies of crossing the Mediterranean by boat.
I down with the artist for CoBo Social, to talk about the themes of his new show and his weaving process.
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One of the most interesting, beautiful and disquieting shows I have visited in Bangkok was “Pure Land” at Tang Contemporary in Bangkok, a show by artist Dinh Q. Lê’s, curated by Loredana Paracciani. I have written about it for CoBo.
Here is the link to the review
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I have been a long-time reader of the Singapore-based magazine Art Republik, so it has been above exciting to be a contributor for the latest Crossover Issue. Also, I might be old-fashioned, but as I much as I enjoy writing for online publications, to see my words in print is always a thrilling experience.
The piece is an interview with Vietnamese multimedia artist Lai Dieu Ha who – aside having the coolest name in the world – is also an artist with an extremely interesting and multifaceted practice. Besides, talking with her gave me a small intro to the Vietnamese art scene which I hope to explore more in-depth soon. Next reportage? Who knows!
Here’s the link to Art Republik’s website
Naima Morelli is an arts writer and journalist specialized in contemporary art from Asia-Pacific and the MENA region.
She has written for the Financial Times, Al-Jazeera, The Art Newspaper, ArtAsiaPacific, Internazionale and Il Manifesto, among others, and she is a regular contributor to Plural Art Mag, Middle East Monitor and Middle East Eye as well as writing curatorial texts for galleries.
She is the author of three books on Southeast Asian contemporary art.
Reach out: contact [at] naimamorelli.com
