PRESS IMAGES Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away February 9-May 9, 2018 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

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1 PRESS IMAGES Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away February 9-May 9, 2018 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Online Photo Service for Press Images Images for current exhibitions may be downloaded free of charge through our website Visit guggenheim.org/pressimages Enter the following password: presspass Select the desired exhibition All images are accompanied by full caption and copyright information. The publication of images is permitted only for press purposes and with the corresponding credit lines. Images may not be cropped, detailed, overprinted, or altered. with any questions. Danh Vo She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene, 2009 Mixed media, 96.5 x 54.5 cm Collection Chantal Crousel Photo: Jean-Daniel Pellen, Paris Danh Vo Danh Vo Installation view: Danh Vo الحجارة,وادي Museo Jumex, Mexico City, November 13, 2014 February 25, 2015 Photo: Abigail Enzaldo and Emilio Bernabé García, courtesy Museo Jumex, Mexico City 1 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away

2 Danh Vo Das Beste oder Nichts, 2010 Engine of Phung Vo s Mercedes-Benz x x cm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Purchased with funds contributed by the International Director s Council Photo: Kristopher McKay Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York Danh Vo Danh Vo , 2009 Ink on paper, writing by Phung Vo, 29.6 x 21 cm, open edition Photo: Kristopher McKay Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York Danh Vo Danh Vo Bye bye, 2010 Photogravure, sheet: 65 x 52 cm, edition of 24 Courtesy the artist Photo: Nick Ash, courtesy the artist Danh Vo Installation view: Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, February 9 May 9, Photo: David Heald Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away

3 Installation view: Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, February 9 May 9, Photo: David Heald Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 2018 Installation view: Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, February 9 May 9, Photo: David Heald Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 2018 Installation view: Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, February 9 May 9, Photo: David Heald Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away

4 Guggenheim Presents First Comprehensive Overview of Work by Artist Danh Vo, Opening February 9 Midcareer Survey Assembles Vo s Installations, Sculptures, and Photographs Since 2003 Exhibition Explores How Global Forces Including War, Religion, Colonialism, and Capitalism Shape Individual and Collective Identity (NEW YORK, NY February 8, 2018) From February 9 through May 9, 2018, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum presents the first comprehensive survey in the United States of work by Danish artist Danh Vo (b. 1975, Ba Ria, Vietnam). Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away offers an illuminating overview of Vo s production from the past 15 years, including several new projects created on the occasion of the Guggenheim presentation. Filling the ramps of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed rotunda and comprising more than one hundred objects, the exhibition interweaves installations, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper from various points in the artist s career, amplifying thematic resonances among diverse cultural and political subjects. Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away is organized by Katherine Brinson, Daskalopoulos Curator, Contemporary Art, with Susan Thompson, Associate Curator, and with additional support from Ylinka Barotto, Assistant Curator. Vo s installations dissect the power structures, cultural forces, and private desires that shape our experience of the world. His work addresses themes of religion, colonialism, capitalism, and artistic authorship, but refracts these sweeping subjects through intimate personal narratives what the artist calls the tiny diasporas of a person s life. Each project grows out of a period of intense research in which historical study, fortuitous encounters, and personal relationships are woven into psychologically potent tableaux. Subjected to Vo s vivid processes of deconstruction and recombination, found objects, documents, and images become registers of latent histories and sociopolitical fissures. Ranging the full spectrum of Vo s oeuvre from early conceptual works such as Vo Rosasco Rasmussen (2003), in which he married and divorced acquaintances in order to add their surnames to his own, to his recent sculptural hybrids of antique statuary the exhibition will forgo a chronological presentation, instead assembling works from the past fifteen years by their formal and thematic resonances.

5 Significant subjects include the legacy of colonialism and the fraught status of the refugee. In particular, Vo has focused on European and U.S. influences in Southeast Asia and Latin America, examining the relationship between military interventions and more diffuse cultural incursions from forces such as evangelical Catholicism and consumer brands. Objects absorbed into the work are frequently charged by knowledge of their former ownership or their status as historical bystanders. Whether presenting the intimate possessions of his family members, a series of thank-you notes from Henry Kissinger, or the chandeliers that glittered above the signing of the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, which ended American involvement in the Vietnam War, Vo subtly excavates the internal tensions embedded in his material. Repeatedly, he has probed the myths and symbols that frame entrenched cultural ideals and aspirations, from the Grimms Cinderella to the Statue of Liberty and the Kennedys Camelot. A sustained focus of the work has been the image of the United States in its own collective imagination and in that of the world a topic that is central to this exhibition. For his Guggenheim presentation, Vo has made several subtle architectural interventions that aim to amplify the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright s iconic building. The oculus covering has been removed to allow natural shifts in sunlight and shadow to filter though the ramps below. Specially selected flora revitalizes the museum s outdoor gardens and also features in plantings distributed within the interior of the building in Talavera pottery commissioned by the artist. Fabulous Muscles Take My Breath Away (2018) is a new, site-specific work for which Danh Vo s father and frequent collaborator, Phung Vo, hand-etched windows on the rotunda floor with calligraphy of his own design that transcribes lyrics written by the band Xiu Xiu and the exhibition s title. A blog post describing the installation of the window calligraphy and details about the exhibition is available at guggenheim.org/blogs. Additional features, including video content on the exhibition and audio clips of the artist speaking about his work, are posted at guggenheim.org/danhvo. Education and Public Programs The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive set of public programs, listed below and subject to change. Eye to Eye: Artist-Led Tours February 20, 27, and April 10, 6:30 pm Part of the Guggenheim s ongoing Eye to Eye series, these intimate evening programs invite contemporary artists to reflect on themes and artworks in current exhibitions, and draw connections to their own practices. For a special iteration of the program on the occasion of Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away, artists identified by Vo as friends, mentors, and collaborators lead a small group of visitors through the exhibition. Each tour is followed by a reception in the Guggenheim s rotunda. $20, $15 members, $10 students. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Tuesday, February 20: Moyra Davey and Jason Simon Tuesday, February 27: Julie Ault Tuesday, April 10: Rirkrit Tiravanija

6 Film Series: Danh Vo Selects Saturdays, March 3 31 A series of films selected by the artist to accompany his exhibition, Danh Vo Selects takes place on Saturdays throughout the month of March. Each week, two of the following films will be screened. Screenings take place in the New Media Theater, Level B, and are free with admission. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/films. Rosetta (1999), dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 93 min. March 10 and 31, 2:30 pm; March 17, 5 pm This intense vérité drama by Belgian filmmakers and brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne closely follows a poor young woman struggling to hold on to a job that would support her and her alcoholic mother. It is a swift and simple tale made revelatory by the raw, empathic way in which the directors render Rosetta s desperation, keeping the camera nearly perched on her shoulder throughout. The Ballad of Narayama (1983), dir. Shohei Imamura, 130 min. March 3 and 24, 5 pm; March 17, 2:30 pm Still strong at the age of 69, Orin prepares herself for an inevitable yet horrifying ritual. In her village, where food is scarce, life is harsh and people are desperate and cruel. Anyone who lives for 70 years is hauled to the mountaintop by their children and left to die in the dead of winter. Orin is prepared to accept her fate, but she also has one last, all-important task she must find a suitable wife for her son, Tatsuhei. The Exorcist (1973), dir. William Friedkin, 122 min. March 3 and 24, 2:30 pm; March 10 and 31, 5 pm One of the most profitable horror movies ever made and the first example of the genre to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, this tale of an exorcism is based loosely on reported actual events. It centers on a young girl s bizarre and distressing behavior, which is identified by a local priest as a demonic possession. The priest makes a request to perform an exorcism, and the church sends in an expert to help with the difficult job. Mind s Eye Tour Monthly Mind s Eye tours and workshops for visitors who are blind or have low vision are conducted by arts and education professionals through verbal description, conversation, sensory experiences, and creative practice. For visitors who wish to visit the museum on their own, the free Guggenheim app includes verbal imaging tours and VoiceOver. Free with RSVP required one week before the program date. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/mindseye. March 14, 2 4 pm: Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away Curator s Eye Tours Wednesdays, 12 pm Curator s Eye tours provide an opportunity for visitors to explore the museum s exhibitions with the exhibition curators sharing expert knowledge of the work on view. Tours interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) upon request. Free with museum admission. Limited capacity, advance on-site

7 registration is required. Registration opens one hour before the tour at the Information desk. Check-in begins 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. March 21: Susan Thompson, Associate Curator April 18: Katherine Brinson, Daskalopoulos Curator, Contemporary Art Danh Vo artist talk Friday, April 27 A rare opportunity to hear the artist speak about his work. Details and times will be posted to guggenheim.org/calendar Xiu Xiu: Deforms the Unborn Tuesday, May 8, 7 pm and 9:30 pm Experimental band Xiu Xiu premieres a new, extended-length track about the tormenting experience of demonic possession, based on firsthand accounts of exorcisms in modern history. The subject of this new composition was inspired by Danh Vo s engagement with William Friedkin s The Exorcist (1973) in his artworks titled after obscenities uttered by the demon Pazuzu in the film. In addition to the concert and a cash bar, visitors will enjoy an opportunity to view the exhibition after hours in its final days. $25, $20 members, $15 students per show. Includes access to the exhibition and bar. For more information, visit guggenheim.org/calendar. Catalogue and Tour A richly illustrated scholarly catalogue conceived in close collaboration with the artist, with an essay by Katherine Brinson and exhibition descriptions by Susan Thompson, Associate Curator, is published to accompany the exhibition as a hardcover edition for $65. A presentation of Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away will be on view at the SMK/National Gallery of Denmak, Copenhagen, from August 30 through December 2, Exhibition Support Funding for Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away is provided by Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne. Additional support is provided by the Juliet Lea Hillman Simonds Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Obel Family Foundation, the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, Beckett-Fonden, and the Danish Arts Foundation. The Leadership Committee for this exhibition is gratefully acknowledged for its support, with special thanks to Mara and Marcio Fainziliber, Cochairs; Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson; Marian Goodman Gallery, New York, London, Paris; kurimanzutto, Mexico City; Robert Soros; Faurschou Foundation; Inigo Philbrick and Francisca Mancini; The Pritzker Traubert Foundation; Murray Alexander Abramson; Peter Bentley Brandt; Galerie Buchholz, Berlin/Cologne/New York; Galerie Chantal Crousel, Paris; Xavier Hufkens; The Jamil Collection; Naomi Milgrom and John Kaldor; Charlotte Feng Ford; and Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner. The catalogue for this exhibition is supported by the New Carlsberg Foundation. About the artist Danh Vo lives and works in Mexico City and Berlin. He represented Denmark at the 2015 Venice Biennale and received the 2012 Hugo Boss Prize, for which he developed the project The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2013). Vo s major solo

8 exhibitions include presentations at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid ( ); Museum Ludwig, Cologne (2015); Museo Jumex, Mexico City ( ); Musée d Art moderne de la Ville de Paris (2013); Villa Medici, Rome (2013); The Renaissance Society, Chicago (2012); Kunsthaus Bregenz, Austria (2012); Kunsthalle Fridericianum, Kassel, Germany (2011); SMK/National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen ( ); Artists Space, New York (2010); Kunsthalle Basel (2009); and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam (2008). He has participated in numerous international group exhibitions, including the Milan Triennial (2014); Berlin Biennial (2010, 2014); Venice Biennale (2013); New Museum Triennial, New York (2012); and Singapore Biennial (2011); as well as those at the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris ( ); Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona (2011); Kunsthalle Basel (2010); and Istituto Svizzero, Rome (2010). About the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Founded in 1937, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of art, primarily of the modern and contemporary periods, through exhibitions, education programs, research initiatives, and publications. The Guggenheim network that began in the 1970s when the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, was joined by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, has since expanded to include the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao (opened 1997) and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (currently in development). The Guggenheim Foundation continues to forge international collaborations that celebrate contemporary art, architecture, and design within and beyond the walls of the museum, including the Guggenheim UBS MAP Global Art Initiative and The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative. More information about the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation can be found at guggenheim.org. For publicity images, visit guggenheim.org/pressimages Password: presspass #DanhVo guggenheim.org/danhvo February 8, 2018 (Updated from January 3, 2018) #1489 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Lauren Van Natten Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Press Office pressoffice@guggenheim.org

9 High Gallery Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Leather 102 x 29 x 17 inches (259.1 x 73.7 x 43.2 cm) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York Purchased with funds contributed by the International Director s Council, Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Mahogany and metal 40 1/2 x 26 x 25 3/4 inches (102.9 x 66 x 65.4 cm) Dallas Museum of Art, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art Fund 2014 X Christmas (Rome), 2012, 2013 Velvet 90 9/16 x 64 9/16 inches (230 x 164 cm) (14 pieces, each) Pinault Collection X Untitled, 2016 Steel sword (Italy or Germany, late 14th century) 1 3/16 x 9 7/16 x 49 3/16 inches (3 x 24 x 125 cm) Courtesy the artist X Take My Breath Away, 2017 Marble figure (Roman, 2nd century CE) 29 1/2 x 21 1/4 x 16 9/16 inches (75 x 54 x 42 cm) Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery X Ramp 1, Bay 11 2/14/2018 1

10 Ramp 1, Bay 11 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Untitled, letters and envelopes 16 1/8 x 21 5/8 x 13 3/4 inches (41 x 55 x 35 cm) (each vitrine) Collection of Heinz Peter Hager and Andrea Thuile, Bolzano, Italy X Ramp 2, Bay 29 Vo Rosasco Rasmussen, 2003 Four documents 11 5/8 x 8 1/4 inches (29.6 x 21 cm) frame: 19 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches (49.5 x 40 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 2, Bay 28 She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene, 2009 Brass bugle, felt cap with velvet, bayonet sheath, field radio with wood and leather case, sashes, wooden drumsticks, fife, leather sword belt with gold and silver details, and 13-star American flag 21 7/16 x 38 x 5 5/16 inches (54.5 x 96.5 x 13.5 cm) Collection of Chantal Crousel X Ramp 2, Bay 27 Untitled, 2008 Fruitwood St. Joseph (Germany, late 16th century) 13 3/4 x 12 5/8 inches (35 x 32 cm) 11 11/16 x 8 1/4 inches (29.7 x 21 cm) (documents, each) Collection of Gastone Ranzato, Padua, Italy X , 2009 Ink on paper, writing by Phung Vo open edition 11 5/8 x 8 1/4 inches (29.6 x 21 cm) frame: 11 11/16 x 8 1/4 inches (29.7 x 21 cm) Courtesy the artist X /14/2018 2

11 Ramp 2, Bay 26 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Société des missons-étrangères - Les Martyrs, 2009 Postcards 3 9/16 x 5 1/2 inches (9 x 14 cm) each Courtesy the artist X Aye Simon Archive of the project , x 12 5/8 x 2 3/4 inches (28 x 32 x 7 cm) each Courtesy the artist X Ramp 2, Bay 25 We The People (detail), Copper 13 feet 7 3/8 inches x 35 1/16 inches x 3/16 inches (415 x 89 x 0.5 cm) Collection of Thea Westreich and Ethan Wagner X We the People (detail), Copper 49 5/8 x 36 1/4 x 11 inches (126 x 92 x 28 cm) Courtesy the artist X , 2015 Photogravure; edition of 24 A.P. 2/6 image: 16 15/16 x 16 15/16 inches (43 x 43 cm) frame: 24 1/8 x 23 11/16 inches (61.2 x 60.1 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 2, Bay 24 2/14/2018 3

12 Ramp 2, Bay 24 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 If you were to climb the Himalayas tomorrow, 2006 Rolex watch, Dupont lighter, and American military class ring 24 13/16 x 20 7/8 x 17 11/16 inches (63 x 53 x 45 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 2, Bay 21 08:03, 28.05, 2009 Late 19th-century chandelier Dimensions variable SMK/National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen X , 2010 Sterling silver tag and cross 1 x 1/2 x 3/8 inches (2.5 x 1.3 x 1 cm) Collection of Taro Nasu, Tokyo X Your mother sucks cocks in Hell, 2015 Marble child (Roman, 1st 2nd century CE), oak Madonna and Child (French Early Gothic), and plywood 21 x 15 9/16 x 13 13/16 inches (53.3 x 39.6 x 35.1 cm) Pinault Collection X Ramp 3, Bay 39 2/14/2018 4

13 Ramp 3, Bay 39 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Aconitum souliei, Inflorescence portion / Lilium souliei, outer and inner tepel / Anemone coelestina var. souliei, flowering plant / Rosa soulieana, fruit / Aconitum souliei, cauline leaf / Anemone coelestina, basal leaf / Anemone coelestina, carpel / Luzula rufescens, flowering plant / Anconitum souliei, upper cauline leaf / Anemone coelestina, basal leaf / Anemone coelestina, flowering plant / Rosa soulieana, fruiting branch / Lilium souliei, distal portion of flowering plant / Nepeta souliei, flowering plant / Rosa soulieana, flowering branch / Cerasus fruticosa, fruiting branch / Cerasus tomentosa var. souliei, fruiting branch, 2009 Wallpaper dimensions variable Courtesy the artist X Portrait of a hand, 2010 A.P. 4/6, edition of 24 sheet: 36 5/8 x 27 3/16 inches (93 x 69 cm) frame: 37 5/8 x 28 1/8 inches (95.5 x 71.5 cm) Courtesy the artist X 马马马, 2016 Bamboo, edition 128/128 Edition of 128 Approximately 14 15/16 x 7 7/8 inches (38 x 20 cm) Courtesy the artist and Vitamin Creative Space X Ramp 3, Bay 37 Good Life, black-and-white photographs, two color photographs, camera, diary page, and documents frame: 18 1/8 x 11 13/16 x 7 7/8 inches (46 x 30 x 20 cm) Private collection, Turin X Ramp 3, Bay 36 2/14/2018 5

14 Ramp 3, Bay 36 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Grave Marker for Maria Ngô Thị Hạ, 2008 Enamel on wood, writing by Phung Vo 39 3/8 x 23 5/8 x 1 3/16 inches (100 x 60 x 3 cm) EFG Art Collection, Switzerland X Untitled, 2018 Marble Eros (Western Europe, 2nd century CE), and sandstone eagle (Germany, late 19th century) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 3, Bay 35 Dress, 2008 Paper dress 33 7/16 x 15 3/4 x 1 9/16 inches (85 x 40 x 4 cm) EFG Art Collection, Switzerland X Mask, 2008 Painted papier-mâché 15 3/4 x 9 13/16 x 17 11/16 inches (40 x 25 x 45 cm) EFG Art Collection, Switzerland X Your mother sucks cocks in Hell, 2015 Wooden crate and oak cherub (France, 17th century) 11 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 13 7/16 inches (28.5 x 26.6 x 34.2 cm) Collection Philippe Ségalot, Paris X Ramp 3, Bay 34 2/14/2018 6

15 Ramp 3, Bay 34 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Dirty Dancing, 2018 Wooden Christ (Spain, 16th century) 49 3/16 x 16 15/16 x 12 5/8 inches (125 x 43 x 32 cm) Courtesy the artist X Dirty Dancing, 2018 Graphite, writing by Phung Vo Courtesy the artist X Ramp 3, Bay 33 Untitled, 2007 Photogravure edition 1/ A.P /16 x 22 7/16 inches (47.5 x 57 cm) frame: 19 3/8 x 24 inches (49.2 x 61 cm) Courtesy the artist X Untitled (safe), 2008 Safe 39 3/8 x 19 11/16 x 15 3/4 inches (100 x 50 x 40 cm) Josef Dalle Nogare Collection X Gustav's Wing, 2013 Bronze 10 5/8 x 7 7/8 x 6 5/16 inches (27 x 20 x 16 cm) (head) 22 7/16 x 16 9/16 x 9 1/16 inches (57 x 42 x 23 cm) (torso) 15 3/4 x 9 1/16 x 7 1/16 inches (40 x 23 x 18 cm) (right arm) 25 3/16 x 20 1/16 x 10 5/8 inches (64 x 51 x 27 cm) (right leg/lower body) 27 9/16 x 7 1/16 x 5 1/8 inches (70 x 18 x 13 cm) (left leg) Pinault Collection X Ramp 3, Bay 32 2/14/2018 7

16 Ramp 3, Bay 32 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/ , 2010 White House menu card paper: 6 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches (16.5 x 12.1 cm) Collection of Eileen and Michael Cohen X Ramp 3, Bay 31 Looty, 1865, 2013 Photogravure, edition of 24 A.P. 4/6 sheet: 15 3/4 x 19 11/16 inches (40 x 50 cm) frame: 16 x 20 7/16 inches (40.7 x 51.9 cm) Courtesy the artist X Massive Black Hole in the Dark Heart of Our Milky Way, 2018 Gold on cardboard, iron tools, and rope Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery X Unknown- Carving, Serpent Head with Tenon, Mexico (Temple of Quetzalcoatl, Teotihuacan), ca CE Limestone American Museum of Natural History, New York X Ramp 4, Bay , 2009 Ink on paper, writing by Phung Vo open edition 29.6 x 21 cm Collection of Daniel Buchholz and Christopher Müller, Cologne X /14/2018 8

17 Ramp 4, Bay 49 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Bye bye, 2010 Photogravure A.P. 3/6, edition of 24 sheet: 25 9/16 x 20 1/2 inches (65 x 52 cm) frame: 26 1/4 x 21 5/16 inches (66.6 x 54.1 cm) Courtesy the artist X , 2015 Porcelain with sea deposits and sandstone eagle (Germany, early 19th century) 9 7/16 x 14 9/16 inches (24 x 37 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 4, Bay 48 Das Beste oder Nichts, 2010 Engine of Phung Vo s Mercedes-Benz x 40 x 81 inches (66 x x cm) Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Purchased with funds contributed by the International Director s Council, , 2010 Photogravure, edition of 24 A.P. 5/6 sheet: 10 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches (26 x 19 cm) frame: 10 13/16 x 8 7/16 inches (27.5 x 21.5 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 4, Bay 47 Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Muslin and nails 84 1/2 x 16 x 5 3/4 inches (214.6 x 40.6 x 14.6 cm) Ishikawa Foundation, Okayama, Japan X /14/2018 9

18 Ramp 4, Bay 47 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Untitled, 2013 Photogravure, edition 14/ AP sheet: 19 11/16 x 13 3/4 inches (50 x 35 cm) frame: 21 5/8 x 15 3/4 inches (55 x 40 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 4, Bay 46 Lot 65. (Kennedy, John F., Thirty-fifth President), 2013 Metal rods, shaped and welded 25 x 20 inches (63.5 x 50.8 cm) SMAK Sammlung Marc and Annette Kemmler, Germany X Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Spring twine and nails Dimensions variable San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Accessions Committee Fund purchase X Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Brass plaque 1 5/8 x 3 1/2 x 1/8 inches (4.1 x 8.9 x 0.3 cm) Collection of Taro Nasu, Tokyo X Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Mahogany 14 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 7 inches (36.8 x 47 x 17.8 cm) Ishikawa Foundation, Okayama, Japan X /14/

19 Ramp 4, Bay 46 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Burlap 90 x 20 x 18 inches (228.6 x 50.8 x 45.7 cm) Collection of Gregory R. Miller and Michael Wiener, New York X Lot 100. Six Small Middle-Eastern Antiquities, 2013 Wood, velvet, and metal 13 1/8 x 11 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches (33.3 x 29.2 x 6.4 cm) Private Collection X Ramp 4, Bay 45 Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Horsehair and nails 9 1/2 x 45 x 35 inches (24.1 x x 88.9 cm) Ishikawa Foundation, Okayama, Japan X Promised Land, 2013 Gold and ink on cardboard, writing by Phung Vo 14 x 15 x 19 inches, 0.8 lb. (35.6 x 38.1 x 48.3 cm, 0.4 kg) Private collection X Shove it up your ass, you faggot!, 2015 Oak Madonna and Child (French Early Gothic), marble Apollo (Roman, 1st 2nd century CE), and steel 60 11/16 x 19 11/16 x 19 11/16 inches (154.2 x 50 x 50 cm) David Roberts Collection, London X Ramp 4, Bay 44 2/14/

20 Ramp 4, Bay 44 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Untitled, 2013 Photogravure, edition 14/24 + 6AP sheet: 19 11/16 x 13 3/4 inches (50 x 35 cm) frame: 21 5/8 x 15 3/4 inches (55 x 40 cm) Courtesy the artist X Untitled, 2013 Photogravure, edition 14/ AP sheet: 19 11/16 x 13 3/4 inches (50 x 35 cm) frame: 21 5/8 x 15 3/4 inches (55 x 40 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 4, Bay 43 Death Sentence, 2009 Ink on paper, 60 sheets, writing by Phung Vo A.P. 1/1, edition of /8 x 8 1/4 inches (29.6 x 21 cm) each The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchased with funds provided by the Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art and the Fund for the Twenty-First Century 2010 X Ο Θεός μαύρο, 2015 Greek marble sarcophagus (Roman, late 2nd century CE) and poplar Virgin of the Annunciation (Italy, ca. 1350) 69 7/8 x 22 7/16 x 20 1/2 inches (177.5 x 57 x 52 cm) Pinault Collection X Untitled, 2017 Ink and color on silk, painted by Hao Liang 38 3/16 x 26 3/8 inches (97 x 67 cm) frame: 40 3/4 x 28 15/16 x 2 3/8 inches (103.5 x 73.5 x 6 cm) Courtesy the artist and Vitamin Creative Space X Ramp 4, Bay 42 2/14/

21 Ramp 4, Bay 42 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Untitled, 2008 Carry-on bag and fruitwood St. Joseph (Germany, late 16th century) 15 3/4 x 19 11/16 x 11 13/16 inches (40 x 50 x 30 cm) Private collection, Monaco X Untitled, 2008 Rolex certificate Certificate: 9 x 8 1/4 inches (22.9 x 21 cm) Josef Dalle Nogare Collection X Beauty Queen, 2013 Wooden crate and oak Christ (France, 17th century) 8 11/16 x 19 11/16 x 12 5/8 inches (22 x 50 x 32 cm) Pinault Collection X Ramp 4, Bay 41 Untitled, 2006 Document 11 7/16 x 8 1/4 inches (29 x 21 cm) frame: 15 9/16 x 19 1/2 inches (39.5 x 49.5 cm) Sammlung Mackert X Untitled, 2009 Gold ring 2 cm diameter, height 3 cm including hanging nail Stefania Morellato and Emilio Giorgi Collection X /14/

22 Ramp 4, Bay 41 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Untitled, 2009 Gold ring Dimensions variable Charpenel Collection X Untitled, 2012 Blond hair of ten-year-old girl 37 3/8 x 3 15/16 inches (95 x 10 cm) (dimensions variable) Private collection X Gustav's Wing, 2012 Chromogenic print image: 33 1/16 x 18 7/8 inches (84 x 48 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 5, Bay 59 Pantoffel, 2013 Gold and ink on paper, writing by Phung Vo 68 3/4 x 57 3/4 inches (174.6 x cm) frame: 73 7/8 x 62 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches (187.6 x x 3.8 cm) Collection of Joanne Gold and Andrew Stern X Ferse, 2013 Gold and ink on paper, writing by Phung Vo 69 5/16 x 58 1/4 inches (176 x 148 cm) frame: 73 5/8 x 62 3/16 x 2 3/8 inches (187 x 158 x 6 cm) Collection Daniel Buchholz and Christopher Müller, Cologne X Ramp 5, Bay 58 2/14/

23 Ramp 5, Bay 58 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Oma Totem, 2009 Philips television set, Gorenje washing machine, Bomann refrigerator, wooden crucifix, and personal casino entrance card 86 5/8 x 23 5/8 x 23 5/8 inches (220 x 60 x 60 cm) Private collection, Turin X Uro, 2009 Metal keys and chain Dimensions variable Collection of Taro Nasu, Tokyo X Ramp 5, Bay 57 Untitled Swaddling cloth Courtesy the artist X Untitled (coin), 2007 Sword (Vietnam, 20th century) with coin (France, 18th century) 42 1/2 x 3 1/8 x 2 3/8 inches (108 x 8 x 6 cm) (Sword) König Galerie X Untitled (rifle), 2007 Rifle Sammlung Mackert X /14/

24 Ramp 5, Bay 57 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Untitled (tricolore), 2007 Blanket Dimensions variable; 78 3/4 x 59 1/16 inches (200 x 150 cm) (blanket) ITYS Collection, Athens X Galoppa!, 2008 Saddle 40 inches x 27 inches x 17 1/4 inches (101.6 x 68.6 x 43.8 cm) (saddle) Collection of John Morace and Tom Kennedy X Ramp 5, Bay 56 Untitled, 2018 Gold on cardboard Courtesy the artist X attributed to Bartolomeo di Zanobi di Benedetto Ghetti- Caritas (Charity), after 1518 Oil on wood panel 28 9/16 x 22 5/8 inches (72.5 x 57.5 cm) SMK/National Gallery of Denmark, Copenhagen X Ramp 5, Bay 55 Log Dog, 2013 Tree branches, iron chains and hooks, and antique wooden sculptures 44 5/16 inches x 16 feet 4 7/8 inches x 23 feet 7 7/16 inches (112.5 x 500 x 720 cm) Pinault Collection X Ramp 5, Bay 54 2/14/

25 Ramp 5, Bay 54 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Los Angeles Times, October 22, 2006, 2006 Newspaper unfolded, one page 22 5/8 x 12 13/16 inches (57.5 x 32.5 cm) Courtesy the artist X Snowfall, Northern Sierras, 1847, 2014 Photogravure, edition of 24 A.P. 2/6 sheet: 16 1/4 x 23 1/16 inches (41.2 x 58.5 cm) frame: 17 1/4 x 24 1/16 inches (43.8 x 61.1 cm) Courtesy the artist X Lick me, lick me, 2015 Wooden crate and Greek-marble Apollo (Roman, 1st 2nd century CE) 8 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 19 1/8 inches (21 x 32.1 x 48.5 cm) Private collection X Untitled, 2017 Two Poul Kjærholm wooden file cabinets and graphite on paper, writing by Phung Vo 37 3/8 x 41 3/4 x 19 5/16 inches (95 x 106 x 49 cm) Courtesy the artist X Untitled, 2018 Porcelain with sea deposit Courtesy the artist X Ramp 5, Bay 53 2/14/

26 Ramp 5, Bay 53 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 We the People (detail), Copper 92 1/8 x 70 7/8 x 42 1/8 inches (234 x 180 x 107 cm) Private collection X We the People (detail), Copper 80 11/16 x 58 1/4 x 19 11/16 inches (205 x 148 x 50 cm) Private collection X , 2014 Photogravure edition of 24 A.P. 5/6 sheet: 22 13/16 x 16 5/8 inches (57.9 x 42.2 cm) frame: 23 1/4 x 17 9/16 inches (59 x 44.6 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 5, Bay 52 Theodore Kaczynski s Smith Corona Portable Typewriter, 2011 Typewriter 13 3/4 x 13 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches (35 x 33.7 x 44.5 cm) Courtesy the artist X Lot 12. A Vietnamese Carved Ivory Tusk, 2013 Ivory 7 x 26 x 3 inches (17.8 x 66 x 7.6 cm) Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Gift of the Bronzini Vender Family Collection, 2015 X Ramp 5, Bay 51 2/14/

27 Ramp 5, Bay 51 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/ :32, 26.05, 2009 Late 19th-century chandelier 94 1/2 x 126 x 47 1/4 inches (240 x 320 x 120 cm) Gift of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner to the Centre Pompidou Foundation. Deposited at Musée national d art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris / Musée national d art moderne X Lot 89. Adams, Ansel, 2013 Framed gelatin silver print 24 1/4 x 30 1/4 inches (61.6 x 76.8 cm) Collection of Sheldon Inwentash and Lynn Factor, Toronto X Lot 1. Annotated Carbon Copy of McNamara's Letter of Condition of Accepting Position of the Secretary of Defense, 2013 Ink on paper paper: 10 1/2 x 7 1/8 inches (26.7 x 18.1 cm) Sheldon Inwentash and Lynn Factor, Toronto X Lot 19. Test Ban Treaty Signing Pen, 5 August, 1963, 2013 Pen tip and ink 1 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/16 inches (3.2 x 0.6 x 0.2 cm) Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery X Lot 39. A Group of 4 Presidential Signing Pens, 2013 Pen tips and ink 1 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/16 inches (3.2 x 0.6 x 0.2 cm) (Each) Ishikawa Foundation, Okayama, Japan X /14/

28 Ramp 5, Bay 51 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Lot 40. Gult of Tonkin Resolution, 2013 Metal, ink 1 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/16 inches (3.2 x 0.6 x 0.2 cm) Penny Pritzker and Bryan Traubert Collection X Ramp 6, Bay 69 Untitled, 2017 Glass mirrors, engraving by Phung Vo 94 1/2 inches x 24 feet 11 3/16 inches (240 x 760 x depth TBD cm) Qiao Zhibing Collection X Untitled, 2018 Marble children (Roman, 1st century CE) 18 1/8 x 10 7/16 x 8 11/16 inches (46 x 26.5 x 22 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 6, Bay 68 Dimmy, why you did this to me?, 2015 Oak Madonna and Child (French Early Gothic), marble satyr (Roman, 1st 2nd century CE), and steel 57 9/16 x 19 11/16 x 19 11/16 inches (146.2 x 50 x 50 cm) base: 39 x 26 x 26 inches (99.1 x 66 x 66 cm) Private Collection X Ramp 6, Bay 67 Untitled, 2009 Carry-on bag and fruitwood St. Joseph (Germany, late 16th century) 23 5/8 x 11 x 22 13/16 inches (60 x 28 x 58 cm) Attilio and Vittorio Rappa Collection, Biella, Italy X /14/

29 Ramp 6, Bay 67 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 We the People (detail), Copper 66 15/16 inches x 13 feet 1 1/2 inches x 70 7/8 inches (170 x 400 x 180 cm) Collección INBA / Programa Pago en Especie X Ramp 6, Bay 66 Untitled, 2008 Carry-on bag and fruitwood St. Joseph (Germany, late 16th century) 11 13/16 x 15 3/4 x 11 13/16 inches (30 x 40 x 30 cm) Boros Collection, Berlin X Ephemeroptera, 2011 Chromogenic print, two panels 134 5/8 x 88 1/16 inches (342 x cm) Courtesy Danh Vo and Heinz Peter Knes X We the People (detail), Copper 13 feet 1 1/2 inches x 78 3/4 inches x 78 3/4 inches (400 x 200 x 200 cm) Courtesy the artist X We the People (detail), Copper 67 11/16 x 27 9/16 x 18 1/2 inches (172 x 70 x 47 cm) Courtesy the artist X Ramp 6, Bay 64 2/14/

30 Ramp 6, Bay 64 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/2018 Lot 20. Two Kennedy Administration Cabinet Room Chairs, 2013 Mahogany and metal 40 1/2 x 26 x 25 3/4 inches (102.9 x 66 x 65.4 cm) Collection of Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner X Ramp 6, Bay 63 08:43, 26.05, 2009 Late 19th-century chandelier Dimensions variable The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art and the Fund for the Twenty-First Century 2010 X Ramp 6, Bay 62 Untitled, 2008 Carry-on bag and fruitwood St. Joseph (Germany, late 16th century) 35 1/2 x 17 5/8 x 19 inches (90.1 x 44.7 x 48.2 cm) Collection of Daniel Buchholz and Christopher Müller, Cologne X Cortez, Co. to Colmar, 2012 Concrete, silver, and wooden crate 9 x 19 1/4 x 12 3/4 inches (22.9 x 48.9 x 32.4 cm) Collection of Eileen and Michael Cohen X Shove it up your ass, you faggot!, 2013 Tree branches and antique wooden sculpture dimensions variable Charlotte Feng Ford Collection X /14/

31 Ramp 6, Bay 62 Danh Vo: Take My Breath Away 2/9/2018-5/9/ Varieties, 2017 Gold on cardboard Courtesy the artist and Vitamin Creative Space X Rotunda It s just not a waiting room, 2013 Bronze, edition of 6 A.P. 1/2 29 1/8 x 41 5/16 x 41 3/4 inches (74 x 105 x 106 cm) Collection of Mathieu Paris, London X Untitled (Les grands Voyages), Talavera pottery 30 5/16 x 31 7/8 inches (77 x 81 cm) Courtesy the artist and kurimanzutto, Mexico City X Untitled, 2018 Glass, etching by Phung Vo (rotunda floor window) Variable Courtesy the artist X /14/

32 Danish artist Danh Vo (b. 1975, Bà Ria, Vietnam) dissects the public forces and private desires that define individual experience. His work addresses sweeping cultural and political themes, but refracts them through intimate personal narratives what the artist calls the tiny diasporas of a person s life. Seen together in this survey exhibition, the sculptures, photographs, and works on paper that he has created over the past fifteen years circle a central paradox: that the self is plural and inherently fluid, yet decisively shaped by larger power structures. Emerging from personal relationships and fortuitous encounters, Vo s projects take their final form as objects and images that have accrued shifting layers of meaning in the world, whether through their former ownership, their proximity to specific events, or their currency as universal icons. A son s last letter home from a distant land, a father s cherished wristwatch, a marriage certificate, and a glittering chandelier become charged conduits of history and identity. Vo sometimes presents these items untouched, allowing their internal contradictions to quietly unravel through a simple act of recontextualization. Others are dismembered or combined with new partners in a vivid compression of themes and eras. Within this approach, the artist s family history which arcs from wartime Vietnam through displacement and immigration to Europe is used as a readymade material like any other, intertwining with the many lives and deaths spanning centuries and continents that are evoked over the course of the exhibition. Vo s work is animated by the act of possession, not just of material belongings and geographic territory, but of the body, faith, and the imagination. An excavation of the residue of colonial occupation and other global power shifts can be traced throughout his oeuvre, accompanied by a meditation on the notion of freedom in different guises. These subjects are at the heart of the artist s recurrent focus on the self-image of the United States, a country whose recent past is enmeshed with that of his birthplace. Vo probes the myths and symbols that frame the nation s identity with characteristic duality, amplifying both its brightest ideals and bleakest corruptions. At the same time, his work questions the very idea that culture can be contained by national boundaries, revealing instead an entity in constant flux, subject to transformative processes of migration and exchange. Organized by Katherine Brinson, Daskalopoulos Curator, Contemporary Art, with Susan Thompson, Associate Curator 300 #danhvo

33 Danh Vo s father, Phung Vo, hand-etched this window with elegant lettering of his own design. Phung Vo is a frequent collaborator in the artist s projects and has contributed his skilled penmanship to many of the artworks and sitespecific drawings on view in the museum s rotunda. The phrase Fabulous muscles is a reference to the work of the band Xiu Xiu, while Take my breath away is the exhibition s title. It is shared with that of the Oscar-winning song written for the action drama Top Gun, a film that glorifies American militarism to the extent that it prompted a significant surge in applications to U.S. forces when it was released in In the movie the track swells during a romantic scene, gesturing to the awe-inspiring power of love, but within the context of Vo s work, the expression also takes on darker resonances of martyrdom, erotic violence, or suicide.

34 The many painted plates and pots distributed throughout the exhibition are made in a style of tinglazed pottery called Talavera that was brought to Spain by Moorish settlers in the late twelfth century and was subsequently introduced to Mexico by Spanish conquistadors in the early colonial period. Interested in the cultural cross-pollinations that are a legacy of imperialism, Vo commissioned these vessels from a workshop in Puebla, near his home in Mexico City, that has continued to practice the Talavera technique. Their surfaces are decorated with gory scenes derived from the work of Belgian engraver Theodor de Bry ( ), whose illustrations depicted the voyages of New World explorers. The vignettes selected by Vo include both the conquistadors brutal treatment of indigenous peoples and acts of mutilation and cannibalism performed on settlers. On the occasion of this exhibition, many of the pots have been planted with specially selected flora, extending the artist s revitalization of the museum s outdoor gardens to the interior of the building.

35 These swaths of velvet formerly lined the walls of the Vatican Museums as backdrops for the display of religious icons, artworks, and artifacts. Though much of the fabric has faded over time due to light exposure, its original deep hue survives in areas that were covered by the museums objects. As in a photogram, the distinct outlines of ornamental frames and embellished crucifixes are recorded on the velvets surfaces, testifying to the passage of time during their long display. The dynamics of religious devotion and the complex global imprint of the Catholic Church are recurrent references for Vo, who was raised in the faith.

36 In 2012 Vo purchased a group of objects from an auction of the personal effects of Robert S. McNamara, who served as U.S. secretary of defense between 1961 and 1968, a period of rapid escalation in the Vietnam War. The lots acquired included two Chippendale-style chairs that had been used by McNamara and President John F. Kennedy during his administration s Cabinet meetings, and were gifted to a griefstricken McNamara by Jacqueline Kennedy following her husband s death. I wanted so much to give you something special of Jack s, she wrote in an accompanying note, that will mean something to you and that he would have wanted you to have. After acquiring them, Vo stripped the chairs down to their component parts; in addition to the denuded skeleton seen here, their leather upholstery, muslin and burlap linings, horsehair stuffing, and spring twine are scattered throughout the exhibition. In the artist s new configurations, these mementos of a mourned friend and leader also evoke the wider losses that might be traced to decisions taken by their former occupants.

37 Vo s works often highlight the ways in which historical narratives become embedded in static objects. The many engraved markings on the surface of this sword record its cross-cultural travels, beginning with the Crusades. Dating to fourteenth-century Italy or Germany, the double-edged sword bears three circled Maltese crosses, indicating its military use by Christian crusaders. A later inscription commemorates the weapon s donation to the Mamluk arsenal in Alexandria during the brief governorship of Sayf al-din Aristay ( ), a result of its capture by Muslim forces. Two additional stamps record the object s subsequent transfer to the Byzantine church of St. Irene, located within the Ottoman Topkapi Palace grounds in Istanbul, which was used by Sultan Mehmed II as an arsenal. The Western weapon s absorption into Islamic material culture signals the exchange of influence that inevitably accompanies the rise and fall of empires, as political power shifts across geographies.

38 The fourteen letters contained in these vitrines were written by Henry Kissinger during his tenure as national security advisor and then secretary of state under Presidents Nixon and Ford. The apparently trivial notes thank Leonard Lyons, the New York Post s theater critic, for procuring tickets to popular productions such as Hello Dolly! and Last of the Red Hot Lovers. Kissinger often declined offers that were tempting, tantalizing, or made his mouth water due to various conflicting official commitments. In one letter he rues the fact that contemplation of Cambodia will prevent him from attending a ballet. A reference to the covert bombing campaign waged by U.S. forces in the region, this aside juxtaposes Kissinger s suave banter with the profound gravity of the concurrent military intervention in Southeast Asia.

39 This work is composed of Vo s marriage to, and subsequent divorce from, two of his close friends, Mia Rosasco and Mads Rasmussen. Beyond the certificates displayed here, the only trace of these platonic unions is the permanent extension of Vo s surname, which to this day is listed on all formal documents as Trung Ky-Danh Vo Rosasco Rasmussen. The artist s activation of this bureaucratic process, a gesture that he considers essentially performative in nature, highlights the way that official documents and by extension, authorizing governments and institutions define and circumscribe our lives. As a gay man adopting and abruptly subverting marital status for his own ends, Vo opened up the possibilities of a heteronormative institution, forcing it to, in his words, produce and register my private memories. In this sense the work is rooted in a queer rejection of conformity to mainstream norms that might be oppressive or irrelevant to other groups.

40 The shifting profile of the United States within the global imagination figures prominently in Vo s oeuvre, with frequent reference to its incarnation as a young, idealistic nation before becoming a hegemonic superpower. This work presents an antique thirteen-star flag adorned with assorted military accessories and musical instruments that were created for the festivities marking the first centennial of the Declaration of Independence. Vo bought the collection at auction and suspended it on the wall in the same configuration in which it was shown in the sale catalogue, with the objects neatly laid out against the backdrop of the flag. In this flag s design, inaugurated in 1777, the thirteen stars and stripes represent the number of the union s founding colonies.

41 This work transcribes the final letter of the French missionary Saint Jean-Théophane Vénard ( ). It was written as he awaited execution, chained by his foot within a bamboo cage, having been sentenced to death by local officials in the Tonkin region of Vietnam for his refusal to renounce his proselytizing mission. Addressed to his beloved father back in France, the letter veils this grim fate with the lyrical metaphor of a tended garden. A slight sabrecut will separate my head from my body, writes Venard, like the spring flower which the Master of the Garden gathers for His pleasure. We are all flowers planted on this earth, which God plucks in His own good time, some a little sooner, some a little later. With characteristic ambivalence, Vo dwells on the beauty of Vénard s serene expression of faith at the same time that his larger practice critiques Catholic evangelism s relationship to the project of European colonialism. Each work in this open edition, the earliest and most recent of which are on view in this exhibition, is rendered by the artist s father, Phung Vo, in the meticulous calligraphy he learned as a child in Vietnam a task that he will continue indefinitely while his health allows. As Phung has no knowledge of the French language, his diligent labor takes the form of a purely visual exercise.

42 On June 3, 1965, four years before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, astronauts James McDivitt and Edward White II were launched into space on the NASA Gemini IV mission. As Mission Pilot White floated outside the capsule, Commander McDivitt documented the first extravehicular space walk by an American in a series of images that capture the sublimity of the boundless cosmic environment. From a sale of White s personal collection, Vo acquired a set of 150 glass slides that were derived from the original film. In the image he selected for this photogravure, the hero astronaut, who died soon after as a member of the Apollo I crew, is all but excised from the frame.

43 comprises a small silver cross adhered to an official NASA agency dog tag. The tag is inscribed with the words FLOWN / GEMINI IV / in reference to the date on which the second crewed mission of the Gemini series successfully accomplished the first American space walk. The cross, which originally belonged to NASA secretary Lola Morrow, who was informally known as Den Mother to the early American astronauts, was taken on the voyage. Charting the ultimate frontier of expansionist conquest, the Space Race was a manifestation of Cold War dynamics that paralleled U.S. military strategy of the same period.

44 Vo first encountered this opulent chandelier in a photograph documenting the 1973 signing of the Paris Peace Accords, which formally ended the Vietnam War. It is one of three that originally hung above a large conference table at the Hôtel Majestic in Paris, a storied civic building that had previously been headquarters for the Nazis during their occupation of France. While supposedly enacting a lasting cessation of hostilities, the treaty ultimately served only as a cover for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Vietnam, after which conflict continued to roil the region. A decade ago, upon discovering that the Majestic building would soon be sold and renovated, Vo initiated a complex chain of negotiations to purchase the chandeliers. He eventually succeeded and used them to create three sculptures, each of which is displayed in this exhibition. While the artist s original interest in these objects stemmed from their role as witnesses to the consequences of Western intervention in the country of his birth, he was equally drawn to their dazzling decorative function. They were, he has said, designed to make you forget, to make you leave your sorrows behind.