In my work as a curator living and working in Vietnam, I have come to treasure the experience of friendship with artists who invite me to be a part of their inner world, who share with me their dreams and fears, doubts and intrigue. In this special space of trust I've been participant, contributor and witness to some incredible artistic production and most importantly learned just how much this space impacts the way I think and write about art. In this brief presentation I shall share two projects realized with Vietnamese artists Dinh Q Le ('Erasure') and Phan Thao Nguyen ('Poetic Amnesia') - revealing the mutual learning of history and just how much artists have a role to play in reviving cultural and social consciousness.

About the speaker:

Zoe Butt is a curator and writer committed to the building of critically thinking, culturally conscious communities. Currently she is Artistic Director of ‘The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre’, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Previously she was Executive Director and Curator of Sàn Art in Ho Chi Minh City (2009-2016); Director, International Programs, Long March Project, Beijing, China (2007-2009); Assistant Curator, Contemporary Asian Art, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia (2001-2007). Her curatorial referral work is pan-Asian, working with private collectors, researchers, independent curators and major museums globally. Zoe is a member of Asian Art Council, Solomon R.Guggenheim, NYC; a member of ‘Asia 21 Young Leaders’, Asia Society, NYC and in 2015 became a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.