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 2.2.1861 2009- Ink on paper / 纸上墨水 21 x 29.7 cm
Last letter of St. Jean Théophane Vénard to his father before he was decapitated, copied by Danh Vo’s father, Phung Vo. Each handwritten text arrives in an envelope mailed by the artist’s father directly to the buyer.
Danh Vo / 傅丹 Frame for 2.2.1861 / 为2.2.1861所作的边框 2019 McNamara walnut wood, glass, cardboard / 胡桃木，玻璃，硬纸板 34,2 x 25, 6 x 2,5 cm
The frame was made from black walnut wood, from Sierra Orchards, owned by sustainable farming pioneer Craig McNamara. On purchasing the farm in 1980, McNamara was surprised to inherit an orchard of slowly maturing black walnut trees destined to be used for crafting gun stocks. McNamara is the only son of Robert McNamara, former United States Secretary of Defense (1961–68) and a principal architect of the Vietnam War. When Vo started to acquire and exhibit objects from his father’s estate, Craig McNamara approached and befriended the artist. He subsequently gave him the orchard and its timber for his artwork.
The root ball is from Sierra Orchards, owned by sustainable farming pioneer Craig McNamara. On purchasing the farm in 1980, McNamara was surprised to inherit an orchard of slowly maturing black walnut trees destined to be used for crafting gun stocks. McNamara is the only son of Robert McNamara, former United States Secretary of Defense (1961–68) and a principal architect of the Vietnam War. When Vo started to acquire and exhibit objects from his father’s estate, Craig McNamara approached and befriended the artist. He subsequently gave him the orchard and its timber for his artwork.
Found in the Guangzhou Yue He Flower, Bird, Fish & Insect Market, this birdcage is made from bamboo that has been grown for over ten years in the mountains of south China and subsequently left to dry for a further ten years in order to retain its shape. The form of the cage is a southern Chinese style and usually used to keep the lovebird (相思鸟). Because of its broad shape, it is named the ‘water chestnut cage’ (马蹄笼). The smaller cage located within is for keeping a grasshopper as the bird’s food.
图文由艺术家和维他命艺术空间惠允 Courtesy of the artist and Vitamin Creative Space
