A comprehensive monographic exhibition presents the latest work by Slovak-Vietnamese artist Kvet Nguyen.
It is conceived as a visual reading of chapters in the story of the Vietnamese diaspora in the territory of the former Czechoslovakia – from post-war migration during the era of socialist internationalism, through the turning point of the Velvet Revolution, to the present day.
A crucial historical moment the exhibition returns to is the so-called "Chrastava children" of 1956. Their arrival in Chrastava near Liberec marked the beginning of the Vietnamese community's story in Czechoslovakia, which continued to develop across generations. The connection to this location creates a unique context that still resonates today in collective memory and current discussions about migration, home, and acceptance. This is why this exhibition is undoubtedly important to our own exhibition and conceptual work. It ties into the local context while simultaneously supporting and standing in solidarity with the contemporary Slovak art community.
Kvet Nguyen's work is also a search for a visual language capable of capturing the tension of collective trauma and transforming it toward a vision of a more just future. Her works programmatically open space for dreaming, hope, and the expression of desires that can act as catalysts for change. The exhibition includes various media, including installations, objects, video, textile photography, photographic archives, and documentary photography. In her work, Nguyen often engages with archival materials – official documents and period media that were heavily colored by racist and xenophobic narratives. This material, which challenges the notion of the "colonial innocence" of Central European post-socialist countries, becomes a starting point for the artist. By seeking out and presenting suppressed voices, she pays tribute to the resilience of marginalized communities and opens a space for collective and individual resistance. The exhibition is the second loose continuation of the exhibition "Kým voda nezmyje breh" (Until the Water Washes Away the Shore) from the Bratislava City Gallery, adapted to the context of Liberec through the "Chrastava children".