The structure of Untitled, 2020 is drawn from the architecture of the Dong (Kam) people, a minority population found in the hills bordering the Chinese provinces of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi. On a visit to the region, Vo was charmed by these simple pavilions, found on the edges of fields and roads, used by farmers, children and townsfolk as gathering places, or simply to shelter from the sun and rain. The region is rich in pine forests, and the pavilions are constructed with fine cedar. A distinctive feature is their hanging central column, which allows for more height within the space, supported by six beams that intersect with six outer pillars, all held together by the traditional building technique of tenons and mortise links. Vo has featured a variety of versions in exhibitions since 2018, for the viewer they function as communal refuges from the often austere, even corporate, context of institutional contemporary art. A flexible and adaptable structure, the pavilion is left unfinished, without a roof, exposing its inner intricacy and enabling the work to host a cornucopia of vibrant plants.
Danh Vo / 傅丹 Untitled / 无题 2021 Pencil on paper and C-print, writing by Phung Vo 42 × 29.7 cm (collage); 45 × 32 × 3.7 cm (framed) 纸上铅笔和彩色照片，由Phung Vo 书写 42 × 29.7 cm (拼贴照片); 45 × 32 × 3.7 cm (相框)
These collages feature a new series Danh Vo started that focuses on flowers. The flowers were labelled in pencil with their Latin name by his father using his beautiful handwriting. The works have an encyclopaedic aura, like pages plucked from a large book and framed. This presentation along with the Latin names shows how we index and formulate nature according to our own values. In the names there is a history of global exchange, colonialism, and power, but also of aesthetics, utility, and cross fertilization. For Danh Vo nurturing the garden becomes a practical and symbolical liberation in the creative process.
图文由艺术家和维他命艺术空间惠允 Courtesy of the artist and Vitamin Creative Space
