Art Labor — Cloud Chamber: Central Highlands Journey
"Cloud Chamber", the first institutional exhibition to survey the activities of Art Labor by Para Site from Aug 17, 2024 – Nov 24, 2024 showcased the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam’s Central Highlands through the work of Jrai artists, Art Labor collective and contemporary artists inspired by the region.
The project, first activated during the Cloud Chamber: Central Highlands Journey in July 2024, included remarkable wood-carved sculptures by Jrai artists, musical instruments created by Jrai musician R Cham Tih, commissioned by Para Site and T:>Works. These public gatherings, outdoor installations, and live performances vividly captured the essence of the Central Highlands.
In 2023, as part of Per°Form Open Academy of Arts + Activations (POA), T:>Works invited Art Labor and members Arlette Quỳnh-Anh Trần, Thao Nguyen Phan and Truong Cong Tung, a collective with an inclusive and cross-disciplinary approach, to present the opening keynote. They shared thoughts, activities, and resonances of JUA — a state or field of water moving in the air — prevalent within the Jrai community, including human and all living beings, revealing the relationships, imaginativeness, and challenges. These ongoing initiatives have allowed them to probe political, economic, cultural, environmental, and demographic transformations in the Central Highlands.
Images courtesy of Art Labor.
“Cloud Chamber” features work by Art Labor (Thao Nguyen Phan, Truong Cong Tung, Arlette Quynh-Anh Tran), in collaboration with Jacques Dournes, Nguyen Phuong Linh, Puih Gloh, Puih Han, Rahlan Loh, Rcham Jeh, R Cham Tih, Romah Aleo, Siu Huel, Siu Kin, Siu Lon, and Truong Que Chi.
“Cloud Chamber” is curated by Celia Ho.
Cloud Chamber: Central Highlands Journey is commissioned by Para Site, Hong Kong and T:> Works, Singapore.
