Fragility Eternity

Fragility Eternity stands as the inaugural solo exposition by the interdisciplinary artist, Tran Minh Duc (also known as Duc Flyingbay), showcased at Gate Gate Gallery in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Following the evocative Reunification Flowers exhibition of 2022, Fragility Eternity emerges as the subsequent chapter, a seamless continuation of the artist's exploration into historical and cultural emblems that have metamorphosed into living, breathing icons interwoven with the collective consciousness of the Vietnamese populace.

Born in 1982 in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Minh Duc hails from a family who traversed the divide from North to South. His formative years unfolded amidst the sweeping transformations of the Doi Moi era in 1986, wherein he keenly observed and absorbed the intricacies of everyday life, becoming fodder for his steadfast creative endeavors spanning the past decade. As eloquently noted by curator Nguyen Phuoc Bao Chau in reflection of his oeuvre:

“As early as when he became familiar with the alphabet, Đức learned about the distinction of “Northern accent 54”, evident in the way of life in his former Catholic neighborhood whose residents included his own relatives. Later on, with the same child-like curiosity, the Internet became Đức’s effective tool to explore the sounds and images of historical events taking place in the West that were previously unknown to him: the songs, the black and white photographs, and the flowers that occupy the path of marching soldiers.”

(Excerpt from the booklet ‘Reunification Flowers’ Reunification Flowers, 2022)

Intertwining personal recollections with the tapestry of local chronicles and a yearning for days of yore—images steeped in Northern hues—Duc, with deft strokes, encapsulates the verve, the unburdened spirit, the contemporary pulse, and the kaleidoscopic fervor of Southern Pop culture, birthing an aesthetic uniquely his own. His juxtaposition of various techniques, from ready-made collages to adept appropriation, resonates with the lexicon of Contemporary art, yet bears the indelible mark of his singular expression. Within Duc's atelier lies a microcosm akin to a museum, where curated artifacts culled from journeys spanning continents, sourced from local bazaars, and even gleaned from the very streets he treads, weave a tapestry of scattered historical fragments. From ebon stone etchings etched with landscapes, to corrugated cardboard and metamorphosed Coca-Cola cans, to copper bullet casings reborn as resplendent vases; luminance emanates from Dien Quang Company and Rang Dong Company, transmuted into incandescent constellations. In Duc's creations, one beholds a narrative that illuminates obscured or forsaken histories, while evoking the subtle shades of patriotism. These are the conduits through which artists, unbound by the fetters of conventional historiography, interpret reality and epochs.

Much akin to American writer and scholar Saidiya Hartman's endeavor, as she ardently elucidates in her treatise, "Venus in Two Acts," to forge a path towards narrating histories fraught with violence and tales of turmoil:

“History pledges to be faithful to the limits of fact, evidence, and archive, even as those dead certainties are produced by terror. I wanted to write a romance that exceeded the fictions of history—the rumors, scandals, lies, invented evidence, fabricated confessions, volatile facts, impossible metaphors, chance events, and fantasies that constitute the archive and determine what can be said about the past.”

Stepping into the realm of Fragility Eternity, we find ourselves enveloped in a tapestry of whimsy, a playful dance of reflections. From the blush-hued embrace of the Roses Blooming in Spring installation to the vivid cerulean glow of the Building Stars' LED luminance, we are awash in the transience and the ethereal whispers of tales untold, and a history yet unfolding. Fragility Eternity, like a tender zephyr or the lingering fragrance of a bloom, seeks to caress the sentiments, memories, and perceptions of each beholder in this sacred expanse—a moment, perhaps, from a distant reverie.