Opening of the exhibition.

It is conceived as a visual reading of the chapters of the story of the Vietnamese diaspora in the territory of the former Czechoslovakia - from post-war migration during the period of socialist internationalism, through the turning point of the Velvet Revolution, to the present.
A crucial historical moment to which the exhibition returns is the so-called Chrastava Children of 1956. Their arrival in Chrastava near Liberec was the beginning of the story of the Vietnamese community in Czechoslovakia, which continued to develop across generations. The connection to this place thus creates a unique context that still resonates in collective memory and in contemporary discussions about migration, home and acceptance. And that is why this exhibition is undeniably important in our exhibition and conceptual work. It connects with the context of the local place, while supporting and being in solidarity with the current 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 towards a vision of a more just future. Her works programmatically open a space for dreaming, hope and the expression of aspirations that can be a catalyst for change. The exhibition spans a variety of media, through installation, objects, video, textile photography, photographic archive, and documentary photography. Nguyen's work often refers to archival materials - official documents and contemporary media that were heavily tinged with racist and xenophobic narratives. This material, which challenges the notion of the "colonial innocence" of Central European post-socialist countries, becomes a point of departure for the artist. By seeking out and presenting suppressed voices, she pays tribute to the resilience of marginalised communities and opens up a space for collective and individual resistance. The exhibition is the second loose continuation of the exhibition Until Water Washes the Shore from the City Gallery of Bratislava and more set in the context of Liberec, through the Chrastava Children.

Annotation:

Opening of the exhibition.