Zeitz MOCAA Presents Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn: Unveiling Histories in ‘The Other Side of Now’

Zeitz MOCAA presents The Other Side of Now, a compelling solo exhibition by Vietnamese American artist Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn. This exhibition, running from August 22, 2024, to July 20, 2025, delves into the complex transnational entanglements brought about by colonization and war, offering a space for communal healing and remembrance.

Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 1976, Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn’s early life was shaped by migration. His family moved to the United States shortly after his birth, where Nguyễn later pursued his passion for art. He graduated from the Fine Arts program at the University of California, Irvine, in 1999 and earned his Master of Fine Arts from The California Institute of the Arts in 2004. Despite his American education, Nguyễn’s work is deeply rooted in his Vietnamese heritage and the broader narratives of Southeast Asia and Africa.

Nguyễn’s artistic practice is defined by his ability to traverse the boundaries of fact and fiction, past and present, memory and forgetting. His films are not mere retellings of history; they are speculative narratives that invite viewers to empathize with the past while envisioning a healed future. Through storytelling, Nguyễn opens a pathway to understanding and reconciliation for both his subjects and his audience. His work is characterized by imagined conversations across generations, letters to lost family members, and the concept of reincarnation as a means of healing from trauma.

The Other Side of Now features three significant film works: Because No One Living Will Listen / Người Sống Chẳng Ai Nghe (2023), The Specter of Ancestors Becoming (2019), and The Unburied Sounds of a Troubled Horizon (2022). Each film is intricately connected by the historical period between 1954 and 1972, spanning the end of the First Indochina War to the conclusion of the American War in Vietnam. These works explore the experiences of Moroccan soldiers who, after defecting from the colonial army, found their return home obstructed by the American War. Another narrative focuses on Senegalese-Vietnamese children and the disruption of their familial connections due to migration. Through these stories, Nguyễn examines the broader themes of displacement, migration, and diasporic experiences across Asia, Africa, and beyond.

Complementing his films, Nguyễn also creates sculptural objects that bring his cinematic worlds into a tangible form. These sculptures confront viewers with relics that carry the weight of history. Among these is Singing Bowls (2022), five bowls crafted from leftover brass artillery shells, serving as a poignant reminder of war’s lingering presence. Letters From the Other Side (2024) features delicate tapestries embroidered with Việt Minh propaganda leaflets, while Solidarities Between the Reincarnated (2019) presents intimate family photographs, each piece a testament to the enduring impact of historical trauma.

The title of the exhibition, The Other Side of Now, invites contemplation on the fluidity of time within Nguyễn’s work. It raises questions about the relationship between past and present: What lies on the other side of “now”? Is it merely a return to “then,” or does it reveal something entirely new? Nguyễn’s narrative approach probes the depths of history, unearthing stories that have long been obscured by time and silence. These stories, often inherited and retold across generations, compel us to seek out answers to the questions that were never asked. In this quest, Nguyễn challenges the possibility of rewriting personal and shared histories, offering the hope of finding solace and closure.

This exhibition is part of Zeitz MOCAA’s ongoing series of research-based solo exhibitions that focus on significant artists from Africa and the Diaspora. These exhibitions aim to contextualize the artists’ practices within broader historical and cultural frameworks. The Other Side of Now exemplifies this mission by engaging with themes that extend beyond the African continent, addressing global entanglements and their implications for African history and identity.