Wheeling City and River
2018
two-channel video installation, HD, color, loop, 3:34 min (video 1), 50:15 min
(video 2), motorbike, fabric, tarp, digital print
Installation view A Motorbike Sunbathes on a Patch of Plastic Turf,
Human Resources, Los Angeles, 2018
Wheeling City and River is a multifaceted series of videos, installations, and
sculptures that draw on the artist’s Vietnamese heritage and family tales. The
primary focus of this work is to explore the intricate interplay between consum-
erism, nostalgia, and the connections and disconnections that arise from it.
The project specifically examines the motorbike culture of Vietnam, viewed
from both a local and Western perspective. The artist draws on personal expe-
riences of childhood memories riding motorbikes in Vietnam and her mother’s
decision to sell her motorbike to move to Germany. The motorbike holds a sym-
bolic meaning of freedom to locals, but for Western tourists, it is often viewed
as a curious novelty, fetishized and overstocked.
Video stills,
Wheeling City and River