Thu Van Tran at Kunsthaus Baselland: Novel Without a Title
Visitors to Kunsthaus Baselland can experience the first Swiss solo institutional presentation by Paris-based artist Thu Van Tran. Titled Novel Without a Title and running from September 11 to November 15, 2020, the exhibition brings together a rich body of sculptures, photographs, drawings, installations, and video works that examine history, language, and postcolonial memory.
Exploring Memory and History at Kunsthaus Baselland
Born in Ho Chi Minh City in 1979 and nominated for France’s Prix Marcel Duchamp in 2018, Thu Van Tran weaves personal and collective histories into her artistic practice. Her works often investigate the historical relations between Vietnam, France, and the United States, drawing inspiration from literature, nature, and architecture.
The exhibition title borrows from the novel Novel Without a Name by Vietnamese writer Duong Thu Huong, setting a thoughtful tone centered around the human capacity—and occasional inability—to articulate historical tragedies. Central to the presentation is the 2019 two-channel video installation 24 Hours in Hanoi, which guides viewers through the capital city and highlights the near-disappearance of Old Vietnamese following the introduction of the Western alphabet.
Visitors will also encounter the photogram series Maids Day, inspired by the quiet presence of female migrant workers gathering in public spaces in Hong Kong, as well as the large-format graphite drawings titled Trail Dust. These graphite works, alongside bronze sculptures cast from rubber tree leaves, reference the devastating environmental impact of Agent Orange deployment during the Vietnam War, transforming fragile organic forms into enduring monuments of survival and loss.
Media coverage of the exhibition was featured across regional and international outlets, including kunst:art, the Basler Zeitung, Radio X, Artline, and the Kunstbulletin.
Plan your cultural outings and find more contemporary art experiences across the city through Musemap, where you can explore the museums list, check what's on exhibitions, or browse the map view.
