The Propeller Group's Dual Exhibitions Explore War, Propaganda, and Cultural Memory
Founded in 2006 by Phunam, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, and Matt Lucero, The Propeller Group showcased two significant exhibitions in 2016. Their solo exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago was held from June 4 to November 13, featuring seven installations and videos. Simultaneously, their work was presented at James Cohan Gallery in New York from April 8 to May 15. The collective examines themes of consumerism and politics, incorporating elements like Cold War weaponry in pieces such as 'The AK-47 vs. The M16' and 'The Guerrillas of Cu Chi.' Additionally, their 2014 film 'The Living Need Light, The Dead Need Music' delves into burial traditions. All members acknowledge the influence of 1990s hip-hop and graffiti culture.
Key facts
- The Propeller Group's first solo museum exhibition was at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago from June 4 to November 13, 2016.
- A concurrent exhibition was held at James Cohan Gallery in New York from April 8 to May 15, 2016.
- The collective was founded in 2006 by core members Phunam, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, and Matt Lucero.
- Their work 'The AK-47 vs. The M16' (2015) was originally conceived for the 56th Venice Biennale.
- The film 'The Living Need Light, The Dead Need Music' (2014) was created for Prospect.3, the New Orleans biennial held from 2014 to 2015.
- Members Nguyen and Lucero studied at CalArts under artist Daniel Joseph Martinez.
- Phunam and Nguyen are refugees whose families fled Vietnam during the war, while Lucero is a California native.
- The installation 'The Guerrillas of Cu Chi' (2012) contrasts historical propaganda footage with contemporary tourism at a Vietnamese war site.
Entities
Artists
- Phunam
- Tuan Andrew Nguyen
- Matt Lucero
- Daniel Joseph Martinez
Institutions
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- James Cohan Gallery
- CalArts
- 56th Venice Biennale
- Prospect.3
- Whitney Biennial
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- New York
- Vietnam
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Cu Chi district
- Venice
- Italy
- New Orleans
- California