Souvenirs of Vietnam
Liza Nguyen
May 5 - June 2, 2007

Image: LIZA NGUYEN, from the series Surface


Liza Nguyen’s solo show at Gallery 44 focuses on two series that trace the
echo of war in Vietnam, Surface and Postcards of Vietnam. Surface is a
series of large-scale photographs showing samples of earth that were taken
from various sites of war in Vietnam suggesting the social, political and
historical reality of Vietnam through its soil. Postcards of Vietnam are
postcards sized images in an accordian style format that depict traces of
war with photographs of war museums, old weapons, ruins, bunkers and
cemeteries. Liza Nguyen work explores representation, memory and aesthetics
that questions how the past is presented, and recalled as well as how links
are created between aesthetics and ethics.

Liza Nguyen was born in France and divides her time between Paris and
Düsseldorf. In Düsseldorf, she works with Thomas Ruff at the Fine Art
Academy. She has two Master degrees: one from the Sorbonne and the other
from the national school, Louis Lumière in photography. Liza Nguyen has
exhibited her work in Europe, Asia, Canada and United States. Her artist
book My Father received several awards in France, including La bourse du
Talent. Souvenirs of Vietnam recently received the Prix Fnac de la
Photographie and the grand prize of the International Biennial of Art of
Lulea in Sweden.



EXHIBITION BROCHURE AND ESSAY BY Cynthia Foo