Trương Công Tùng is exhibited at Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennal 2026
Trương Công Tùng, The State of Absence… Voices from Outside (2020–ongoing). Photo by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation | all images by Alessandro Brasile, courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation
Trương Công Tùng grew up among various ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. With research interests in science, cosmology, philosophy, and the environment, Trương works with a range of media, including video, installation, painting, and found objects.
The State of Absence... Voices from Outside draws from the artist's memories of the villages in Gia Lai and Dak Lak, prominent coffee-producing provinces, and the craft traditions and belief systems of their native Jarai people. Forming a kind of garden, the constellation of lacquered calabash gourds come in various shapes, sizes, and hues. Gourds, once dried, can serve as storage or water containers and even musical instruments. The hard-shelled fruits have also inspired Asian flood mythologies, like the legend of survivors finding refuge inside a giant calabash. The scattered gourds are connected by transparent plastic tubes carrying water, referencing the intricate irrigation techniques of coffee plantations.
ABOUT THE FONDATION
Photo courtesy of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation.
Jax District - Diriyah/Riyadh
2598 Muhammad Ibn Rashid Al Uraini, Al Diriyah Al Jadidah, 7120, Riyadh 13732
Inspired by the changes taking place in Saudi Arabia and the heritage site of Diriyah, the Diriyah Biennale Foundation assumes a critical role in nurturing creative expression and instilling an appreciation for culture and the arts and their transformative potential. The Foundation aspires to be a catalyst for lifelong learning and serves Saudi Arabia’s communities by offering opportunities to engage with the burgeoning local art scene.
At this historical moment of evolution and growth in Saudi Arabia, these Biennales will showcase some of the world’s leading artists, drive cultural exchange between the Kingdom and international communities, promote dialogue and understanding, and further establish Saudi Arabia as an important cultural center.
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