A Wonderful Weekend

Ephemeral and over saturated

It’s a treat for those who frequent 72-13. The artists has cleverly transformed the upper floor by dividing the space effectively with make-shift walls that serves as projection walls and what’s got to be the biggest sponge bag sofa. The works pepper videos with animated ASCII codes, that form images if one is patient enough to wait; documents of other art works by other artists play happily on three 14-inch monitors.

Downstairs, the video screenings were cosy and homely with the bean bags (consistent with the motif upstairs), and IKEA standing silver lamps.

Because each separate screen demands your attention, as art works or documents in themselves, the amalgamation or special rendezvous compilation doesn’t work for me. You really need a lot of chill to sit through the videos, or find yourself walking to and fro projections and monitors like visiting a fun fair. A mini festival from Ho Chi Minh City in it’s own right, it serves to remind me at least, that there can be exciting art happening right up in Asia (as opposed to doing the grandtour2007 – Basel Art fair, Venice Biennale, Documenta and Munster Sculpture project). Because of the duration of the exhibition, three days over the Good Friday weekend, it felt like an ephemeral experience of having a mixture of engaging, dis-engaging works; mundane or down-right everyday or inquisitive studies into art and the everyday; interesting, alternative understanding of video art and it did tested my tolerance for ‘art film’, it felt like an over-saturated event. Then again, nobody asked me to watch everything, and I didn’t.

5 of 10 stars (visual arts component and artists talks); it probably rates better if you can attend the video screening, electronic music and performances by French and Vietnamese Artists

5 – 7 April, 2007
72-13