Interview #176—Truc Truong - Liminal Magazine

Tell us about the work you did in your residency at Hyphenated Projects in January.

The work investigates iconography, colours and stories that link to Lunar New Year as well as critiquing the link between Asian Australians, internalised racism and the model minority myth. I played around with old clothing I purchased from an op shop in Sunshine, which I really enjoyed, because previously I had only been using my own clothing. I found the work became less about me and I wondered who the previous owners were and what their stories and experiences are.

Some of the things I made I think are obviously critiques of power and the desire for economic progression in Australia, whereas others are just me being able to play around with the things that I grew up with: rearranging, adding on, carving out materials such as watermelon, oats, jelly, chicken feet etc. I came in with no plan; the only thing I took with me was my sewing machine. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity by Hyphenated Projects to freely explore, and it worked out so well because I’ve been able to further develop and understand my practice and my confidence in making. It was so nice to end the residency with these established artists sitting around me without feeling like the chicken feet hanging in the corner was offensive.

Your installation Unicorn Land/Hai Con Lân Việt Kiều (2019) juxtaposes two lion-dancing costumes: a bigger one in buttery yellow, pink, peach and blue tones with a yellow head, and a smaller one in dark flannels and stripes with a black head, representing first and second-generation migrants. How does being a second-generation migrant shape your work?

The piece was sparked by an essay by Ghassan Hage in which he discusses the differences between first and second-generation migrants:

‘[T]he second generation are likely to experience not only a different but also a more intense sense of injury from racism than the first generation … Because they always get a whiff of the racism experienced by their parents before them, but more importantly, because, unlike their parents, they experience racism from an early age, and because this racism is directed at them with a language and culture that is their own, they develop an excessive and even a reactive idealized sense of entitlement to non-discriminatory treatment …’

I felt the essay helped me form an understanding of my rage towards racism in Australia compared to my parents’ modest tolerance of it. I’ve gotten into some heated arguments with my parents about ‘fighting back’ and I’ve said some ignorant and hurtful things about their generation but at the end of the day it’s not how I really feel.

So in this piece, the yellow lion represents wisdom and leadership and the first generation. My parents have had to deal with so much more hardship than my sister and I, but they continue to constantly love and give back to the community that surrounds them. The black lion represents the youthful warrior, which is why it symbolises the second generation. They’re a good team and it reminds me that this journey of getting rid of these bad spirits is done together.

How do you approach research when it comes to other people’s stories, whether they’re people in your family or beyond?

In terms of research I try to be as genuine as possible when asking my family and friends about their stories. Essentially, it’s not about plastering their life into my work, it’s actually just about building relationships, and if it happens to make connections with my own understanding that’s great, but if not, it’s still great. Relationships are more important than work. For example, I’m very wary of discussing what marginality is for all Vietnamese Australians, I understand that everyone’s experience is different.

I’ve heard so many interesting stories from people over the years but often I’ve just left it, especially if I feel it’s not my story to tell. I think it’s easier to approach research with integrity and genuine interest than compared to using research to make work. I find that side complicated, I still have so much more to learn.