The work of Trương Công Tùng (b. in 1986 in Đắk Lắk province; lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City) concerns the mythologies of land and their relationship to living practices that have been interrupted by processes of modernization, war, and rampant industrialization of the Central Highlands in Vietnam. He approaches work in the studio as a gardener works a parcel of land, combining found and organic elements, mainly sourced from industrial-scale agricultural forests, to create interconnected bodies of work. He is interested in how cosmologies of life have survived despite various interruptions and how they continue to sustain cultural practices, human relations, and daily rituals.
For the 58th Carnegie International, Trương presents a selection of work that has been developing over the past few years. A screen made of beads sourced from industrial tree plantations (such as coffee, cacao, and rubber plants); a selection of lacquer paintings that constantly change with the addition of layers; and a circulatory network of gourds compose what the artist considers a temporary garden. Art and aesthetics are integral to the appreciation of one’s everyday surroundings; to live a beautiful life requires the constant cultivation and care of a gardener.
