“I can still vividly recall the experience of installing an iteration of this series for the 2022 exhibition “Illuminated Curiosities” at the Nguyen Art Foundation in Ho Chi Minh City. As I unpacked each doll, ironed each uniform, and cradled each pacifier in my palms before placing them behind Plexiglas, I was on the verge of tears. My mind became flustered with questions about the fates of Agent Orange survivors and how they would describe their experiences of the war. Such was the power of Dinh’s haunting works: The objects’ combination of innocence and eeriness introduced me to another perspective on a community that I’d grown up hearing about constantly, yet that remained on the periphery of my historical consciousness. Dinh’s storytelling was political but not politicized: He interspersed harsh realities with a generous dose of poetics and sensitivity toward marginalized communities—people whose lives were quickly swept under the rug after the war ended.”
In Memoriam, artist, mentor, visionarie Dinh Q. Lê.
Read more about Dinh’s life and work at Artforum.
