Monument of Round Tray – Tháp mâm
Installation Performance Art
Size: 4,0m in height 8,0m in diameter
Materials:
400 aluminum round trays decorated with oil paintings; ropes, nude photos photocopied on papers.
I have built a conic-shaped tent, a monument for Vietnamese women using round aluminum trays, the traditional tool used for serving meal. This monument reflects colors of the sky changing in sunlight, electric light, and when it rains, it can describe the sensibility and perseverance of Vietnamese women facing daily challenges. It also resonates as the trays tease each other when the wind blows, an audible monument. The similar pattern round the trays create an image of monotony, which is seen as “perfect“ for the routine of traditional women. I invite people to explore the inside of the “hut” to find out about the innermost aspirations of these women being imaged by one hundred nude female figures flying in spite of the restriction imposed by conditioning. This “Monument of Round Trays” may be seen as a depiction of the inner conflict that Vietnamese women are struggling with in these days of modernization and globalization combining the potential for more personal choice with the pain of self-liberation.
