A brush with... Danh Vo

A brush with... Danh Vo

From A brush with... by The Art Newspaper

March 4, 2026 · 60 min · Season 32 · Episode 4

About this episode

Danh Vo discusses his artistic influences and the cultural experiences that shape his work.

Danh Vo talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work. Vo was born in 1975 in Bà Rja, Vietnam and raised in Denmark. He lives and works between Germany, where he has a studio in Güldenhof, 80km outside Berlin, and Mexico City. His art is often founded in personal experiences and relationships, but alludes to wider social and political conditions and structures, both present and historical. The way he reflects on his autobiography is distinctive: his art is embedded in his experience as a Vietnamese immigrant to Europe as a child and queer identity, for instance, but his collaborative practice often stems from coincidences or serendipitous occurrences in daily life. Danh uses found objects of different registers, from household items to historic religious sculptures, as well as archival images and texts, and brings them into dynamic relationships, in which the exhibition space and context is often a vital component. He also incorporates the work of other artists and designers into his installations, and his practice has been likened to that of a curator or…

People in this episode

Host: Ben Luke

Guest: Danh Vo

Topics covered

  • artistic influences
  • cultural experiences
  • Vietnamese immigrant identity
  • queer identity
  • collaborative practice
  • found objects
  • exhibition context

Keywords

  • Vietnam
  • Danh Vo
  • art
  • influences
  • queer identity
  • collaboration
  • found objects
  • exhibition

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Vietnam, Denmark, Germany, Güldenhof, Berlin, Mexico City

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