Projects 93: Dinh Q. Lê
This “project” is compromised of different scraps from the Vietnam War. In particular it includes insight on the complex relationship between the Vietnamese and helicopters.
This exhibit was more of a history lesson than a work of modern art, but I can’t complain since I walked away learning something new. The documentary portrayed the helicopter and two completely different ways Vietnamese people view it. We have to remember that the Vietnamese people had never seen a helicopter before the American troops used them as a weapon during the Vietnam War. This is why for many in Vietnam, especially for those that experienced the war, the helicopter is a symbol of death and destruction. On the other side, we have a Vietnamese innovator who creates a simple helicopter with the intent to benefit the people by easing transportation. There is a clash of history and tradition with the new and advancing technology. This was a truly exhilarating exhibit.
It was also really interesting to see a documentary on display as a piece of art at the MOMA. It got me thinking, what makes one documentary more worthy to be on display there than another? How was this particular one chosen?
I think they probably chose it because it fit with the other aviation pieces they had like the helicopter and weird flying machine shopping carts. Or maybe they chose this documentary first and the art pieces to revolve around it, hmm….
This was probably one of the most captivating exhibits. I know it caught Brian and my attention, because we sat in there for a while!
The helicopter in the exhibit definitely had huge significance on the artists, because it required two pieces of art in the museum.