TUẤN MAMI
1. Bạn đã từng làm việc trong một chương trình nghệ sĩ lưu trú sáng tác nào chưa? Nếu
chưa, bạn đã mong chờ điều gì khi tham gia? Cảm nghĩ của bạn khi tham gia và trở thành
một trong những nghệ sĩ trong chương trình lưu trú sáng tác đầu tiên ở Việt Nam?
Have you ever attended an 'artist in residence' program? If not, what did you expect; if
yes, what difference do you feel? How do you feel being one of the first artists working in
the first studio/residency program in Vietnam?
I have been participating in several residency programs in Europe and Asia but this time
is the first one in Vietnam. The biggest differences I think come from the various
environments, purpose and expectation an artist has of a residency. Working in my home
country, I have to work even more carefully and pay more and more attention on what I
can realize and analyze in a particular time in case someone is really familiar with what’s
going in this space.
To be the first participator in the first residency program in Vietnam is such an honor but
at the same time, it push me hard to respond to this position. I feel that I have to work
harder and harder.
2. Bạn hãy cho biết chương trình lưu trú đã giúp hay phát triển các thực hành nghệ thuật
và sáng tác của bạn thế nào? Bạn đã học được gì hay rút ra được những kinh nghiệm nào
trong quá trình lưu trú và sáng tác tác phẩm?
How does a studio help develop your artistic practices? What have you discovered/
experiences you had during your residency and making works?
Because my works are mostly site-specific and time based, to be in a studio/residency is a
great time to focus full time. It brings me to a place that supports my environment to work
and also to open up a site that I couldn’t think about before, to experience and research
the small things in daily life, my neighborhood and the various familiar encounters. Then
I discover the sites of things previously unknown to me. Like getting more and more
curious to see into the normal being or what is exactly ‘existence’ around me. I have
spent most of my time to meet with people and observing the life style here around ‘San
Art Laboratory’. From these interesting results, I adapt to the new environment, then take
that inspiration to develop my artistic thinking that is based on the gaps between me and
society. I’m getting closer to some interesting ideas of what is important for being here
and my works are presenting those elements.
3. Bạn cảm thấy thế nào trong thời gian sáu tháng làm việc và sinh hoạt với các bạn nghệ
sĩ Việt Nam khác, cùng các nghệ sĩ quốc tế lưu lại làm việc trong các khoảng thời gian
ngắn hơn; môi trường này có khác lạ hay giúp ích cho bạn so với điều kiện sáng tác trước
đây của bạn?
How do you feel working and living with other Vietnamese artists for whole 6 month time,
and other international artists; is it strange or helping you compare to your habits and
conditions of creating artworks?
This was an awesome time, especially for being around these artistic people all the time.
It’s the opposite condition with my daily life, as I normally prefer to stay alone to work
on my own ideas. But this time, I get the chance to have more serious discussions and
watching the others working. It gives me some power and encouragement. I mean we can
see ourselves better when we look at the others in a close loop. On other hand, it makes
me be more critical and creative.
4. Bạn có chia sẻ gì với các bạn nghệ sĩ trẻ Việt Nam đang tìm kiếm môi trường và cơ hội
tham gia các chương trình nghệ sĩ lưu trú sáng tác tại Việt Nam?
What would you like to share with other young Vietnamese artists who are looking for
working environment and residency opportunity in Vietnam?
Join the environment to experience and challenge yourself. Sure it’s very hot here, and
not a resort or holiday time - but it’s worth it and it will improve your knowledge and
talent indeed.
Tuan Mami:
Có mối liên hệ nào giữa bạn và các vật thể bạn đã chọn không? Ý nghĩa của chúng là gì?
What kind of connection between you and your selected objects? What is the meaning of
your objects?
I often think about what brings us our life. Isn’t it a big issue, a neglected one? I push my
self in the journey to find the meaning and history of things happening around me. One
emerging perception for me is the memory of life and objects and the measurement of
their perceived worth. So I’m curious about what is going on, what has been presented in
all the things around me. When I decided to make this project, I thought to go into small
things, I might find something else from what builds the code of this society. So I attend
to all the familiar things that are existing around me and life in this town. I focus on the
single things that carry some memories of someone that I think could belong to anyone of
us who live under this situation. These objects present the code of life and thought of
people in a particular time. I got to a point that share the lost memories and re-present
them in a new expectation.