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Protesters shut down ‘F.O.B. II’ exhibition
January 16th, 2009, 1:42 pm · 14 Comments · posted by RICHARD CHANG, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
“Thu Duc, Viet Nam” (2008) by Brian Doan. It’s no longer on view at the VAALA Center in Santa Ana.
Anti-communist protesters helped shut down a group art show in Santa Ana today (1/16).
Click on images above to enlarge.
The exhibit, titled “F.O.B. II: Art Speaks,” contained about 50 varied works by Vietnamese American artists, including a photograph by Brian Doan depicting a girl wearing a red tank top with a yellow star in the middle (see above). The shirt resembles the current, communist Vietnamese flag, and she is standing next to a gold bust of former Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh.
The protesters, mainly older Vietnamese residents of Orange County and Southern California, chanted slogans and denounced the curators and organizers of the exhibit at a news conference today. They said the image was pro-communist and threatened a larger protest over the weekend. “F.O.B. II” was due to close on Sunday.
The protesters brought pictures of a girl in a bikini with the yellow star on her butt and a Ho Chi Minh bust in the toilet. They called that “real art.”
Meanwhile, the organizers also said they didn’t have proper permission from the city of Santa Ana to use the space as a gallery. That was another reason cited for the shutdown.
At the protest/news conference, Doan’s own father, Doan Vi Han, said he was angry about his son’s photograph and that he had spent 10 years in a communist prison.
Many of the protesters were the same folks who demonstrated against the Nguoi Viet Daily News after that newspaper published an image of a foot spa painted with the colors of the South Vietnamese flag (also known as the heritage flag). Utlimately, the protests caused the firing of two of the paper’s top editors.
While I’ve written some stories about Vietnamese protests in the past, I don’t know the whole history behind the protesters and their concerns. Yet, it seems like they have a lot of power if they can shut down an art exhibit that featured a lot of different kinds of work, much of it non-political, plus get two editors at a local paper fired.
I thought the United States was a place where freedom of speech and expression are protected by the Constitution. But apparently, those rights are not fully protected or respected in certain communities here.
In the meantime, the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association will continue with two spoken-word performances tonight and Saturday night at the VALAA Center, 1600 N. Broadway, Santa Ana.
And Brian Doan, the photographer attracting all this attention and controversy, will have his own photo exhibition Jan. 20-Feb. 21 at Cypress College’s Photography Galleries, 9200 Valley View St., Cypress. It is in the Technical Education 1 building, second floor.
More:
- Read the news story in the Orange County Register about the gallery shutdown
- Tense moments at “F.O.B. II” art exhibition
- Arts on the cheap: “F.O.B. II”
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Hou’re right… you DON’T know the whole history behind the protesters and their concerns. You don’t. So before you write an article saying that the Vietnamese community here in the U.S does not respect the freedom of speech and expression, I advise you to spend more time looking into the background of the Vietnamese-American here–what they were put through. Why they do not support the communist regime.
Think of the human rights issues that the Vietnamese government today fails to address.
Think of the inequality in income level across the Vietnam country.
Think of the poverty the citizens are living in (those who aren’t a part of the bureaucracy).
Please think twice before you speak. You do not know the history, as you’ve stated.. at least not well enough. Spend more time doing research.
Just a quick clarification, you don’t need to post this publicly:
It is actually VAALA - the Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association.
Thanks so much for keeping us updated on this topic. War is a vicious and brutal game, and all those affected may never be able to live in peace. 35 years isn’t nearly enough time to heal, considering the fact that many of those with whom war has affected see the terror and feel the heartache as though it were yesterday. The pain of losing your loved ones never goes away. The torment of pirates at sea, the brutalization and mistreatment of women and their young daughters to or near the brink of death, splitting up your family for a better chance of survival only to never see them again, the hundreds of thousands of refugees lost at sea, soldiers KIA and MIA, having to start over in a foreign country with only the shirts on your back, it all is still vivid in the hearts and minds of victims of war. The movie “Journey from the Fall” directed by Ham Tran (who was one of the members of VAALA who opposed displaying the photo from the beginning) is the first of its kind to show the honest and hard truth of some of the turmoil faced by the Vietnamese diaspora. You may be able to understand the Vietnamese community a little more if you watch the movie.
I myself sometimes don’t agree with how extreme members of the Vietnamese community may be, but I understand them. They just want peace, but emotions from the war, fear and anger are still very real, with ill-doers finding their way into the community and tearing open wounds that have not yet healed.
On the other side, there’s a generation that’s trying to understand their parents and a war they did not know first-hand, sometimes without understanding the past, sometimes caught up in their own imagination and interpretations that can be dangerously misinterpreted. After one generation, there is already a gap between ‘Americanized’ Vietnamese-Americans, and first generation Vietnamese-Americans.
That’s where it stands now. I really had to get that off my chest. Sometimes these topics can become a little overwhelming, especially after reading mean, unthoughtful and racist comments.
THIS IS REALLY A CLEAR ABUSE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH BY PRO-COMMUNIST ARTISTS!!! WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SOMEONE SHOWED OFF A POSTER OF ADOLF HITLER, THE NAZI FOUNDER AND EXTREME RACIST, AT U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM OR AT OBAMA’S INAUGURATION CEREMONY, OR A PICTURE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN AT GROUND ZERO, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE??? A BIG PROTEST OF HUNDREDS OF VIETNAMESE IS SCHEDULED FROM 9AM-12PM THIS SATURDAY JAN. 17 AT VALAA CENTER, 1600 N. BROADWAY, SANTA ANA.
I’m sorry Tim but that’s freedom of speech. Do you think the Vietnamese community would accept a movie with Ho Chi Minh in it? No. You can’t compare an apparent abuse of power with people’s feelings toward Hitler or people like him. “Valkerie” depicts scenes from Hitler’s Germany, yet you do not see people protesting it and having it taken out of theaters. If that movie had HCM in it, there would be a huge protest and that movie wouldn’t have made it to theaters.
Instead of letting the shear image of HCM put such hatred and division within our community, why not work together to promote for a better tomorrow? Why not put that type of energy to work in protests for human rights in VN or vote for legislations that would improve the lives of people in this community?
Bottom line is, this is an art exhibit, not a political battle ground.
Brian’s picture is very anti-communist: the girl representing the new future who dreaming/thinking about something else completely disconnected with the old communist ideology (representing by Ho Chi Minh status and the star on the shirt).
Unfortunately, the demonstrating people who do not have knowledge of artistic expression - misunderstood Brian’s art. - causing the political distasteful activities.
The concepts of art and freedom of expression are still very foreign to the Vietnamese community - especially in Orange County. Brian did not insult the community (who is the victim of communistic system) by his picture. His picture expresses the same feeling of anti-communist but unfortunately the demonstrating people do not have the proper mind to see it!
“I thought the United States was a place where freedom of speech and expression are protected by the Constitution. But apparently, those rights are not fully protected or respected in certain communities here.” What the hell are you talking about? Are you saying that someone’s Constitutional rights were violated and a community didn’t protect it? What community are you talking about? Be specific! Are you saying the Vietnamese community must police its own as far as the Constitution is concern? If you are correct, call the Justice department and see, but clearly you are NOT correct. It is within these people’s right to assemble and protest this very offensive art. It is legal and within the artists’ consitutional rights to express this very offensive art, but the protesters are not doing anything illegal by protesting and who says that they have to respect the artists? Cut the BS, if a bunch of nazis put out art with Hitler and swastikas and are confronted by Jews protesting, you won’t be writing such BS like “I thought” this and that. You obviously have no problems with Communist China when they took out all the educated people and murdered all them. That’s why all you have left in China are crooks and triads. My parents went through hell and they have this so called art being thrown like crap in their face and you think they don’t have the right to express themselves by protesting and doing all that is withing their Constitutional rights to stick it right back to these people? Please, you been floating around in your art world too long. Before you judge and spew such BS like you know what the United States is all about, maybe you should learn about the freedom to assemble, it is also in the First amendment of the Bill of Rights.
To say that Brian taking a picture like this is saying that he is pro-communist is absolutely absurd. He is one of my instructors and my friend and is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. He doesn’t want to promote communism, he wants to promote people talking and discussing and reflecting.
Freedom is not free
Free men are not equal
Equal men are not free
Let them say their piece
Let them show their pictures
Communism is dead
It’s never coming back
As long as new ideas whet the appetite of greedy men
As long as rich men give poor men jobs
As long as you can speak your mind in a public forum
The only thing you really need to fear
Is the unyielding clench of a Dictator
A detail about Brian Doan’s artwork that is almost never brought up is that this photograph is part of a diptych, which means that there are 2 images installed to tell the whole story that artist wants to tell. In Brian’s case, the second photo is hung to the left of the photo with the girl and depicts a man standing in the middle of the woods (obviously outside of VN) with his eyes closed and carrying in one hand an empty bird cage with its door left open.
Diptychs usually involve a conversation of contrasts, and for Brian’s installation, it’s: freeing outdoors vs. indoors with no windows; girl’s eyes dreamily staring into a land beyond towards the direction of the guy vs. guy’s eyes are closed not looking back; one is a little darker vs. the other a little brighter; he is standing vs. she is sitting.
I understand that art can be challenging to decipher, but that is also the beauty of it–it’s not black/white or good/bad, nor should it be.
If the newspapers, tv’s, and blogs would show the two images together as they were intended, perhaps the whole conversation of the simplistic “these Communist symbols are offensive” could be taken to the next level. Perhaps we could talk about how this is the reality for many of the younger generation in Vietnam who grew up seeing the “communist” flag and pictures of HCM as “normal.” Many of these youths can be disillusioned with how these communist ideologies can be so easily exchanged for a cell phone, a pair of jeans, or even a golden bust. It’s speaks more to the commodification of Vietnam.
Too bad many of you can no longer view the exhibit as it was intended so that you could see for yourself how the rest of the room was arranged and to also see the other powerful works of art that just blew me away!
I’m glad to see that many people are talking about this subject as this is one of the organizers’ goals. Keep talking about it, community, and I encourage you to talk about it from an informed place and not be manipulated by the media or other organizations or individuals that spin it in a certain way for their own agenda.
I trust that our community will one day transcend these narrow views of these symbols and not give them away so easily to the commies!
In unity we stand!
I think Tim does make a good point, but maybe some greater clarification would make it stronger. I think having a photo exhibit with pictures of Hitler or Nazi supporters 20 or 30 years after WW2 would have had a much bigger reaction than there was today. Also, Valkyrie is not the best counter argument because it is clearly anti-hitler. Whereas the photos could be interpreted as being pro-communist. For example, the girl coul dbe looking out the window to a great communist country and the GOLD of the bust could symbolize how HCM’s past ideals are still valued. Plus, its not just an abuse of power(like some would argue Bush committed). Communist leaders have committed atrocities very similar to the Holocaust, it’s just not as well publicized.
A communist society oppresses all art that goes against the belief and agenda of the state. In a capitalist democracy art that goes against the norm of the state is allowed to be displayed so the viewer can be allowed to develop an argument against it or for it. By living in the United States (a capitalist democracy with freedoms) the protestors have all the right to rally against an art exhibit they view as offending but the tactics use of intimidation, harassment, and CENSORSHIP towards something they disagree against seems to me that they accepted and adapted to a communist notion from Ho Chi Minh’s Vietnam.
As a free thinking individual living in a democracy that does not censor art I want to post my view of the image in question.
I see a young, intellectual, and modern woman living in communist Vietnam. The communist Vietnam Flag shirt and the bust of Ho Chi Minh lead me to believe she is living in Communist Vietnam. The notepad and pen lets me know that she is a free thinking woman with many goals and dreams in life, the cell phone hints to her acceptance in modern technology and society. As you can see she seems to be looking out a window, probably day dreaming of living in a free democracy that would value her as an intellectual woman with dreams and goals in life. The fact that her head is turned to the RIGHT and not the Left also means that she embraces a Capitalistic Democracy over an oppressive state run socialist government.
Maybe the woman is a representation of ALL of Communist Vietnam, finding their place in a modern society. A country that needs to start leaning a little bit more to the Right rather than the left in order to survive the modern technologically enhanced world. She might represent modern Vietnamese in saying we cannot change our past but we can develop and create a new future for Vietnam.
Well that’s what I see in the picture but it is up to your own interpretation, so STOP the CENSORSHIP and developed a critically thinking mind and create your own story with the picture.
Always the same things.
In a democracy everybody can do what he wants.
On the one hand somebody can do an exhibition of artwork
and on the other side people can protest but it’s against the law to destroy anything.
We as Vietnamese should be proud that we can live here in US.
In VN I don’t see a chance of change - we could protest sooooo long
but nothing will change on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
THIS IS JUST UNFAIR; A PICTURE OF THE WHITE HOUSE WITH A WATER MELON PATCH IS OFFENSIVE TO BLACK COMMUNITY, CAUSING MAYOR DEAN GROSE’S RESIGNATION, BUT PHOTO OF HO CHI MINH, FOUNDER OF VIETNAM’S COMMUNIST PARTY AND MURDERER OF MILLIONS OF VIETNAMESE, ALONG WITH VIETNAM’S COMMUNIST FLAG AT CYPRESS COLLEGE’S EXHIBIT GALLERY ARE NOT OFFENSIVE TO VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY???
PRO-COMMUNIST OFFICIALS OF CYPRESS COLLEGE MUST TAKE DOWN PHOTOS OF HO CHI MINH, FOUNDER OF VIETNAM’S COMMUNIST PARTY, AND VIETNAM’S COMMUNIST FLAG IN THE COLLEGE’S EXHIBITION GALLERY!!!
THIS IS REALLY A CLEAR ABUSE OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH BY PRO-COMMUNIST ARTISTS!!! WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SOMEONE SHOWED OFF A PICTURE OF ADOLF HITLER, THE NAZI FOUNDER AND EXTREME RACIST, AT U.S. HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM OR A PICTURE OF OSAMA BIN LADEN AT GROUND ZERO, THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE??? THAT IS WHY PRINCE HARRY OF GREAT BRITAIN HAD TO APOLOGIZE FOR WEARING A SWASTIKA ARMBAND TO A FRIEND’S FANCY DRESS PARTY. DARE STUPID YET STUBBORN OFFICIALS OF CYPRESS COLLEGE ALLOW PHOTOS OF ADOLF HITLER AND OSAMA BIN LADEN IN ITS EXHIBITION GALLERY OR EVEN ON THE CAMPUS? VIETNAMESE AND ANYBODY LOVES FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS MUST JOIN WEDNESDAY FEB-18 PROTEST AT CYPRESS COLLEGE AS WELL AS BOYCOTT THIS PRO-COMMUNIST COLLEGE. THAT IS WHY OFFICIALS FROM CSU FULLERTON, CITY COLLEGE OF SAN FRANCISCO, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON (UTA), AND MANY OTHER UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES HAD TO TAKE DOWN VIETNAM’S COMMUNIST FLAGS AFTER FACING STRONG PROTEST FROM VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES.