ABOUT/BACKGROUND

Vòng Vòng is a community-engaged, artist-driven project collaborating with Vietnamese/BIPOC artists, designers, and practitioners from around the world.

Organizing periodic activities spanning celebrations to workshops, Vòng Vòng embraces the fluidity of form, locations, and online platforms to reflect the communities involved and to meet the energy, time, and resources available. Through these activities, Vòng Vòng addresses the need for more accessible, informal art and cultural experiences for the Vietnamese/BIPOC working class, facilitating meaningful connections and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, expression, and participation locally and globally.

Initiated by Vietnamese-Canadian interdisciplinary artist and cultural producer Karen Thảo La, Vòng Vòng exists not only as a project but as an urgent desire to co-build new futures together. Rooted in experiences of cultural disconnection and a longing to bridge diasporic divides, it imagines a world where artistic pursuits and experiences transcend borders and exclusivity, serving as catalysts for social change and cultural pride.

Connecting Dots                                                                                                                     

March 21-24, 2024

Connecting Dots is Vòng Vòng’s inaugural community engagement series. It brings together over thirty artists, designers, practitioners, and cultural workers across disciplines based in Vancouver, Los Angeles, Paris, and Vietnam whose ancestral lineage and cultural background inform their practice in Vancouver’s Historic Chinatown at Massy Art Gallery and Atelier254, with virtual participatory components from March 21-24, 2024. 

The programming revolves around the notion of duality - for instance, joy doesn’t exist in the absence of grief - and draws inspiration from the concept of yin and yang (陰陽, âm dương), which describes opposing yet interconnected forces. Yin represents passivity, while yang symbolizes activity ☯︎.

Main day 1 (March 23) features yang-like activities, providing an opportunity for social engagement and active participation and Main day 2 (March 24) transitions to more yin-like experiences, inviting attendees to listen, observe, and reflect. 

Programming is free, by donation or pay what you can. All tickets by donations went to Tamam Fine Palestinian Cuisine’s mujaddarah fundraiser for Gaza.

Connecting Dots is supported by the British Columbia Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts.

SOCIAL/ Mahjong Mistress & Friends 

Held over a leisurely afternoon, this gathering celebrated the cherished tradition of mahjong as a space for connection and knowledge-sharing. Visiting from Los Angeles, Mahjong Mistress offered personal reflections and historical insights before guiding participants through hands-on gameplay. The atmosphere was enriched by eclectic sounds from Straight Honey (NTS Radio) and visual projections by Tammy Nguyễn (Los Angeles).

An installation by Megan Kwan of Super Sensitive Studios, showcasing reimagined everyday artifacts that reflect the resourcefulness, dreams, and sacrifices of past generations, was also on view throughout the weekend.

PERFORMANCE/ V-Drag, Music, & Karaoke 

The night opened with dynamic drag performances by House of Rice members Shay Dior, Kara Juku, and Jasminh, set to nostalgic V-pop melodies from Paris by Night. The energy then shifted into the contemporary electronic soundscape of Chaos Butterfly, the debut album by Vietnamese-Canadian artist x/o, which explores themes of self-acceptance and transformation.

To close the evening, guests were invited to step into their own spotlight with an open karaoke session—no musical ability required, just a spirit of self-expression.

POETRY, TALK, & PRACTICE/ Ancestral Embrace: Through Grief and Joy 

The afternoon opened with heart-centred poems and songs by genderfluid Desi poet and multidisciplinary performer Anjalica Solomon, exploring the emotional landscapes of grief and joy.

Traditional Syrian storyteller and equitable justice activist Masa Ketab (Quantum Care) followed with moving reflections on forced migration, home, and purposeful healing.

Healthcare innovator Eda Ertan (Quantum Care) then guided attendees through somatic practices rooted in ancient and modern sciences, concluding with a brief therapeutic sound bath. Paris-based psychotherapist Hiu Chan (Room of One’s Own) closed the gathering by offering reflective mental health prompts in the form of a personal letter.

As a nourishing treat, Victor Tran (Bao Buddies) shared homemade baos inspired by his grandmother’s recipes.

SCREENING & DISCUSSION/ The Treehouse // Nhà Cây by Truong Minh Quý

The Connecting Dots series concluded with a cozy in-person screening of The Treehouse // Nhà Cây, the debut feature by Vietnamese filmmaker Trương Minh Quý. Set in 2045, the film follows a filmmaker on Mars reflecting on belonging and representation, weaving together footage of the Cor and Rục peoples with archival material from the American invasion of Vietnam. Through this meditative journey, Quý explores displacement, ancestral memory, and the complexities of home.

The screening was followed by a cross-continental conversation with Sài Gòn–based curator and writer Linh Lê, moderated by interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker Kimberly Ho 何文蔚.