Human opera

Opening: 24.02.2019 @6pm
Exhibition on view until 23.03.2012
Location: Sàn Art
3 Me Linh
Binh Thanh District
Ho Chi Minh City

In this exhibition, San Art presents two video works titled ‘Human Opera XXX’ (2005) and ‘My Voice Would Reach You” (2009). These works are emblematic of Merio Koizumi’s art where the human spirit and its mental dilemma in dealing with the complex contradictions of urban life are divulged and reflected. His remarkable art has been shown in major museums around the world.

In “My Voice Would Reach You”, the artist poignantly recalls the memory of his mother, desiring to speak with her, to bring her back from death and into his urban every day. Time collapses between past and present as we realize his futile determination to arrange a chance to see her again. “Human Opera XXX” was undertaken during Merio Koizumi’s residency at the Rijksakadedemie in The Netherlands. In this work, he invites a member of the public to share a personal sad story. What ensues is an uncomfortably humorous turn of events where a local Dutch man’s personal predicament is ridiculed into an unexpected performance with prop and special effect. Meiro Koizumi’s art seeks to provoke the substance of humanity, while also highlighting the absurdity in how we popularly frame, control, record or recall social tragedy.

San Art and Tokyo Wonder Site (TWS), Japan entered an art studio/residency exchange program in September 2011. Ho Chi Minh City artist Tran Minh Duc undertook an artist-in-residency with TWS from 14 September to 4 December, 2011. In February 2012, Meiro Koizumi visits Ho Chi Minh City for one month undertaking research towards new work.

‘Human Opera: Meiro Koizumi’ is the artist’s first exhibition in Vietnam.