Tammy Nguyen's Opera Aria to Close 61st Venice Biennale
At the 61st Venice Biennale on 13 and 14 November, an aria from Tammy Nguyen's opera, Timaeus and The Teacher: Foreword, will be showcased. This opera, commissioned by Wesleyan University, where Nguyen serves as an associate professor, delves into themes of nationhood and freedom. Notable collaborators include composer Neely Bruce and choreographer Jamal Jackson. The initiative was launched last summer following Nguyen's encounter with Biennale curators Koyo Kouoh and Rory Tsapayi. Nguyen's artistic focus revolves around 'flags of convenience,' representing 46 countries. The libretto, drawing inspiration from Plato's Timaeus, features The Teacher, portrayed by Brian Vu, a character based on Nguyen's father. Additionally, Nguyen's paintings will be displayed in the Biennale's main exhibition.
Key facts
- An aria from Tammy Nguyen's opera Timaeus and The Teacher: Foreword will be performed at the 61st Venice Biennale closing programme on 13 and 14 November.
- The opera explores nationhood and journeys for freedom and was commissioned and produced by Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
- Nguyen collaborated with composer Neely Bruce and choreographer Jamal Jackson.
- The project began after curator Rory Tsapayi asked Nguyen about flags in her work, leading her to reveal she was writing an opera.
- Nguyen's research focuses on 'flags of convenience,' a practice involving roughly 46 nations, many former colonies.
- Her 2024-25 Sarasota Art Museum exhibition, Timaeus and the Nations, featured hybridised national anthems and recombined flag imagery.
- The libretto draws on Plato's Timaeus and uses a Fibonacci module; The Teacher is played by Brian Vu and is loosely based on Nguyen's father.
- Nguyen designed a set with a circular tapestry inspired by Plato's cosmological diagram, manipulated by dancers during the performance.
Entities
Artists
- Tammy Nguyen
- Neely Bruce
- Jamal Jackson
- Koyo Kouoh
- Rory Tsapayi
- Brian Vu
- Plato
- John Cage
- Hagar Ophir
- Ziad Antar
- Hatem Imam
- Nayla Mabsout
- Nathalie Vairac
- Timaeus
Institutions
- Lehmann Maupin
- Venice Biennale
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Wesleyan University
- Sarasota Art Museum
- Sunoco
- The Art Newspaper
- Studio Kukla
- Hyperallergic
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Venice
- Italy
- Connecticut
- Sarasota
- San Francisco
- Saigon
- Vietnam
- South China Sea
- Seoul
- South Korea
- London
- United Kingdom
- Ho Chi Minh City