We Exist in the Ambivalence of Those Motherfuckers departs from the mainstream commemoration and reflection by Vietnam and the United States of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. While the injuries of the past remain present decades later and have been well-examined by Vietnamese-American artists, the history of experimental performance in Vietnam has emerged amidst a negotiation of ambivalence and resistance to government interference. To instigate a global conversation around art-making and censorship, the program provides self-determined Vietnamese-centered environments and contexts within which audiences may engage with contemporary Vietnamese practitioners. Supported by long-term residencies, conversations, and provocations in Performance Space New York’s theaters over the course of a month, the program will culminate in debut performances by four intergenerational artists, and conversations with the program’s instigators and co-organizers Anh Vo, maura nguyễn donohue, and Lumi Tan.

On Thursday, February 5, at 7pm, Lại Diệu Hà, Vũ Đức Toàn, Nhi Lê, and Đoàn Thanh Toàn will premiere performances or works-in-progress at Performance Space New York.

We Exist in the Ambivalence of Those Motherfuckers is a part of a broader series of events featuring talks, screenings, publications, and more, collaboratively organized between organizations during the fall and winter seasons.