Wednesday 17 September
12.45 – 1.30pm
Cell Block Theatre

Is ​’non-objective’ formalism still shaping contemporary approaches to political expression and investigations of cultural identity? This talk looks at how James Nguyen, along with many other contemporary Australian artists are using the language and concepts of non-objective art to engage with the contradictions of decolonisation, cultural reclamation and diasporic belonging. 

James Nguyen (he/​him) was born in Bảo Lộc, Việt Nam. He is currently based in Murrumbeena (close to where the Boyds once ran their pottery studios). Nguyen’s work engages with reMatriation, decolonial thinking and language-brokering. He makes memes, performances, film, sculpture and installation etc to draw attention to the diasporic absurd. James has shown both ground-breaking and lacklustre work at institutions such as ACCA, MCA, NGV, Fairfield City Museum and Gallery, 4A, and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art.