"The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, IMUUR2"

Art

Mixed media

Upper East Side

Until Mon May 27

David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"
David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"
David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"
David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"
David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"
David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"
David Heald © 2013 Solomon R. G

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"

Installation view of "The Hugo Boss Prize 2012: Danh Vo, I M U U R 2"

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Time Out says

Tue Apr 30 2013

Danh Vo mines history and his own background for sculptures and installations that adroitly explore such topics as identity, authorship and geographical displacement. Born in Vietnam in 1975, Vo escaped a Cambodian refugee camp four years later, fleeing with his family by boat in the hopes of reaching America. Instead, they were rescued by a ship from Denmark and granted asylum there.

Since coming to public attention a decade ago, Vo has become known for using readymades with loaded provenances. His projects have incorporated the chandeliers from the hotel that hosted the Paris peace talks that ended the Vietnam War, the Unabomber’s typewriter, and household appliances that his grandmother received through government agencies or from Catholic charities when she settled in Germany.

In IMUUR2, Vo presents 4,000 objects collected by the artist Martin Wong and his mother, Florence Wong Fie. Wong had been a fixture on New York’s downtown art scene during the 1980s and ’90s, before his death from AIDS. The trove he amassed is an eclectic one, including Popeye and Mickey Mouse memorabilia, Asian ceramics, blackface figurines, kitschy cookie jars, vintage African and Indonesian masks, ancient Chinese scrolls and small artworks by Wong himself. They’re all displayed in a room full of shelves—a Kunstkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, that presents a vision of America as seen through the eyes of immigrants. By appropriating Wong’s treasures, Vo creates a compelling metaphor for his own experienceÑand for the life he might have lived, had his boat landed on these shores.—Paul Laster

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Venue details

MAP

Name:
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Address:
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum 1071 Fifth Ave
Upper East Side
New York
10128

Cross Street:
at 89th St
Phone:
212-423-3500
Website:
guggenheim.org
Opening hours:
Mon–Wed, Fri, Sun 10am–5:45pm; Sat 10am–7:45pm
Transport:
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St
Price:
$22, seniors and students with ID $18, members and children under 12 accompanied by an adult free. Sat 5:45–7:45pm pay what you wish
Map
1. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
  - 1071 Fifth Ave
    Upper East Side
    New York
    10128
  - 212-423-3500
  - guggenheim.org
  - 40.782979,-73.958867

Event phone:
212-423-3500
Event website:
guggenheim.org

Categories:
Art. Installation. Mixed media
Facilities:
Eating & drinking facilities. Bar. Cafe. Restaurant. Liquor license. Accessible facilities. Wheelchair access
Good for:
Activities for a spare hour. After-work crowd. Culture vultures. Dating. Date night. First date. Pickup scene. Singles. Socializing. Feed your brain. Going in a group. Going solo. Mood. Chill
Event type:
Exhibitions