NONO INSPIRATION: DANH VO
INSPIRATION
Installation view of 'Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint' at M + Pavillio, Hong Kong, 2019. Photo by South Ho.
Vo’s installations dissect the cultural forces, power structures and private desires that shape our experience of the world. His work addresses themes of artistic authorship, capitalism, colonialism and religion, however he presents these sweeping subjects through intimate personal narratives— what the artist calls the “tiny diasporas of a person’s life.”
In works such as If you were to climb the Himalayas tomorrow (2006) and Das Beste oder Nichts (2010), commercially valuable objects become material for his art, such a Rolex watch and a Mercedes-Benz car. These commonplace objects are considered by the artists as silent historical witnesses, that accumulate layers of meaning from their proximity to important historical figures and events. He disassembles items acquired from auctions and third parties, refashioning them in evocative new arrangements.
Vo has presented solo shows at several prominent art institutions, including The Royal Academy of Arts in London, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and Museo Jumex in Mexico City. In 2015, Vo represented Denmark in the Venice Biennial’s Danish pavilion, also recipient of prestigious awards a.o. the Hugo Boss Prize (2012).
Installation view of 'Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away' at the Solomon R.Guggenheim Museum, New York City, 2018. Photo by Cathy Carver.