The Propeller Group: Artists as Space-Time DJs
Founded in 2006 by Phunam, Matt Lucero, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen, The Propeller Group is an artistic collective based in Ho Chi Minh City that merges various cultures and historical periods in its creations. They showcased their work in 'No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia' at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Notable pieces from the group include 'Television Commercial for Communism' (2011), 'The History of the Future' (2012), 'The Guerrillas of Cu Chi' (2012), and 'Regional Reproduction' (2012). Additionally, they manage San Art, a non-profit organization founded in 2007 and led by Zoé Butt, which promotes art residencies and encourages discussions about the art scene in Vietnam.
Key facts
- The Propeller Group was founded in 2006 by Phunam, Matt Lucero, and Tuan Andrew Nguyen.
- They participated in 'No Country: Contemporary Art for South and Southeast Asia' at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.
- Television Commercial for Communism (2011) was made with TBWA/Viet Nam, the agency behind Apple's Think Different campaign.
- The History of the Future (2012) involves a wooden rifle carved in a 400-year-old tradition, buried for 100 years.
- The burial coordinates are locked in a time-sealed chest; a silicone mold and video document the piece.
- The Guerrillas of Cu Chi (2012) films tourists shooting at targets from the bullet's perspective at Cu Chi tunnels.
- Regional Reproduction (2012) features Dafen village painters creating self-portraits in the style of Old Masters.
- San Art, a non-commercial organization, was established in 2007 and is directed by Zoé Butt.
Entities
Artists
- Phunam
- Matt Lucero
- Tuan Andrew Nguyen
- Dinh Q. Le
- Superflex
- Zoé Butt
- Marcel Gauchet
- Antonin Artaud
- Caroline Ha Tuc
- Momo Matsuzaki
- Daniel Joseph Martinez
Institutions
- The Propeller Group
- Guggenheim Museum
- TBWA / Viet Nam
- Apple
- San Art
- Queensland Art Gallery
- Long March Space
- 10 Chancery Lane
- Galerie Quynh
- L'Usine
- Queensland Gallery of Modern Art
- Guangdong Museum of Art
- SF MoMA
- Hammer Museum of Art
- The New Museum
- Singapore Art Museum
- Independent Curators International
- Pratt Manhattan Gallery
- Venice Biennale
- Singapore Biennale
- Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
- Guangzhou Triennial
- Made In LA
- Los Angeles Biennial
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- James Cohan Gallery
- CalArts
- 56th Venice Biennale
- Prospect.3
- Whitney Biennial
Locations
- Saigon
- Los Angeles
- California
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam
- New York
- Cu Chi
- Dafen
- Shenzhen
- China
- Hong Kong
- Brisbane
- Guangzhou
- San Francisco
- Singapore
- Venice
- Chicago
- United States
- Cu Chi district
- Italy
- New Orleans
Sources
- artpress —
- artcritical —