06/05/2020
When I first started working on it last year, I knew that because 2020 was the 45th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War this was an important topic to dialogue for Southeast Asian Americans. Also the exhibition would commemorate the 5 years of in existence. It was going to be a celebration of sorts. And then 2020 happened. My father passed away, COVID-19 took over, racial attacks on Asian Americans were on the rise, again. TYNTY would go from being a full-on physical exhibition, to a limited space gallery event, until finally, a virtual show that would exist only online. Like all the artists involved, I was asked by to prepare a video statement to accompany the works. It was hard trying to find the words, express my feelings about the show itself and what was happening in the world. I managed to call out a bunch of phrases I felt I could somewhat piece together in a post edit. And then the violent death of George Floyd took place and the world changed again. Unhappy that I had to finish a welcome message that would distract folks from their right to protest and be heard, but too emotionally exhausted to record another statement, I took whatever was left of my pre-recorded footage instead.
