SM1701 Research Blog Post #1
September 16, 2025
Topic: The Art of Danh Vo
Student name: Chan Hiu Wing, Winwin
Student number: 59465381
Danh Vo is an awesome artist who primarily works in installation and conceptual artworks. I am really respect to his creativity and want to explore how Vo sees desire as a key to persuade, resist and adapt cultures. I am interested in his way to narrate, at the same time combine both personal and collective feelings into pieces of artwork. The ability of him is to create artworks that can resonate audiences and reflect our identities.
For my research this week, I focused on his artwork "08:03:51," created in 2009. This artwork deeply resonate with me through its historical events behind. Vo creates this piece not only because of the symbolic mark in France, and also the privilege lifestyles in 19th century in France. The chandelier actually symbolizes the ballroom in formal Parisian Hotel, where the peace treaty between Vietnam and the USA was signed. This thus recall the memories of all the Vietnamese and Americans as this was an important turning point marked in the history. I am drawn to this art piece because it encapsulates the intersection of personal trauma and collective memories, prompting a reevaluation of how we perceive histories.
(Img source: Google Art & Culture, 2009)
I found out that Vo had also recorded fragments of his family's history, which includes personal items. I observed that the merging of these little objects can be a connection to the past, creating a sense of intimacy and vulnerability.
In an interview with Artnet News, Vo said "memory is not just personal; it’s a collective construct that shapes our identities." I agree with the statement that this piece exemplifies how personal items can serve as catalysts for understanding collective memory. It is one of the very familiar and specific significant of Vo too.
(Img source: Nick Ash, 2009)
If I have a chance to create such brilliant artwork, I would like to construct identity narratives to strengthen the role of personal. This makes me can feel the temperature of the art piece and save the special memory in the past.
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