Remembering Otherwise

Video Art and Collective Memory in Vietnam

Abstract

In contemporary Vietnam, where the government maintains tight control over cultural representation and historical narratives, video art has emerged as a potent site for contesting dominant memories. This article investigates how Vietnamese video artists brings suppressed memories—those of women, queer individuals, ethnic minorities, and immigrants—into visibility, thereby disrupting homogenous collective memories. The research focuses on selected video artworks by two internationally acclaimed artists—established video artist Nguyen Trinh Thi and multimedia artist Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai—whose recognition comes primarily from global institutions rather than official state honors in Vietnam. Employing a qualitative methodology, this study utilizes textual and discourse analysis of the artworks, contextualized by a review of Vietnam’s socio-political landscape and theories of collective and ethical memory. We argue that rather than directly confronting or rejecting state-sanctioned narratives, the artworks analyzed intervene by inserting marginalized personal and communal memories into public discourse. This fosters a “double ethical memory, ” compelling audiences to acknowledge forgotten or excluded perspectives. Key findings reveal that the artists employ distinctive narrative strategies (grounded in absence), alongside visual techniques (cinéma vérité and non-narrative composition) to give agency to silenced voices within a censored media environment. This study underscores the significance of video art as an independent medium for fostering more inclusive and nuanced cultural representation in Vietnam and offers implications for understanding art’s role in social critique and memory work within Southeast Asia.