SHOW, DON’T TELL
Võ is Danish.
Võ works in Berlin and Mexico City.
Võ was four years old when his family fled South Vietnam in a self-made boat.
Võ’s art is minimalistic in material and form, revealing little and remaining simple.
Võ’s art is made out of “old art” such as sculptures, texts, paintings, and fossils.
Võ’s art provides us with historically and politically rich symbolic hooks, for example, American flags.
Võ’s art invites us to determine its contexts. 


Untitled (2016), gold on cardboard
Live Free or Die (2020), thirteen mild steel stars and wood logs
Untitled (2022), 16th century Madonna and Child oil paint on panel and 13-star American flag




Pantoffel (2020), gold on vellum

The formal concept is straightforward: The 177x303 cm artwork frames a violent extract from the Brothers Grimm’s Cinderella in beautiful lettering on golden foliage. In the passage in question, the stepmother instructs her daughters to take a knife and cut off a piece of their feet in order to be able to squeeze into the slipper given by the prince in search of its true owner. One of the daughters leaves the room with the knife and cuts off a piece of her heel, hoping to rise in class and become the future Queen.

The German text used by Võ was released in 1812 and although the story of Cinderella remains well-known as a classic in the reincarnation of other media, the difference in mood and character compared to the original become apparent, exposing a historical lineage. This piece of archiving gives it new meaning by presenting the source in shimmering and polished display, juxtaposing its visuals with the brutality of its literal meanings.

make the ugly tasteful
the violence of adapting
it’s just a matter of applying a layer of gold
fitting into the slipper equals being able to buy “Pantoffel”
or create your own gold leaves artwork
what am I cutting off myself in the process
I can’t help it, the gold is tasteful
but the text is not





References
White Cube

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Danh Võ (b. 1975)
installation, sculpture, painting
sep 15 2024
№1

 

© 2024 Sasha Meyer, updated September 28