Mekong Cultural Hub

Bio: Tran Luong is an independent curator, visual artist, and major figure in creating space for critical contemporary art in Vietnam. His works are grounded in local experience and challenging socio-political legacies and policies that repress individual expression. A generous mentor of youth, Tran Luong goes beyond normal curatorship, encouraging performers to push the boundaries, negotiating censorship with the authorities, and creating exchanges between regions in Vietnam. His moving artworks that critique repression emphasize human resilience and empower the individual through personal action and self-reflection. He is dedicated to developing spaces, initiatives, networks, and communities for performance and video arts, as well as to questioning the dominant norms and supporting alternative visions in a context of censorship and conformity. He is committed to freedom of expression, community enrichment and nurturing younger generations (summarized by the essay of the Prince Claus Award 2014) Tran has joined Jogja Biennale 2019, Thailand Biennale 2018, Taipei Biennale 2016, the Havana Biennale 2009, Busan Biennale 2004, Liverpool Biennale 2002, Fukuoka Asian Triennale 2002. Tran's recent exhibitions include Concept Context Contestation, Goethe Institute/BACC – Yangon, Chancing Modern/Gang of Five Show at National Film Studio Hanoi 2017, the Sunshower at Mori Art Museum Tokyo 2017, Club Monster, ACC/ACI Gwangju 2016, Fragile Body - Material Body the 3rd Venice International Performance Art Week 2016, Secret Archipelago at Palais de Tokyo Paris 2015, No Country at the Guggenheim Museum New York 2013, and Welcome to the jungle, Yokohama Museum of Art 2013. He co-curated the Singapore Biennale in 2013. Tran was also a member of the renowned 'Gang of Five,' an artist collective 1983-1997 and co-founded Nha San Studio (1998-2011).