Phương Nguyên Lê

b. 2002 Vietnam

Based in Hô Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

‘In 1985, my father, then a professional volleyball player for the Vietnamese military, went to Siem Reap with his team as part of a training camp. This was his first time in a foreign land. A year later, he was sent back to Siem Reap, not as an athlete, but as a soldier. The battle he participated in was part of a secret border war dealing with the Khmer Rouge’s aftermath. The Vietnamese government has never justified their invasion of Cambodia after this regime ended and refused to officially acknowledge this history. As such, my father was never considered a veteran by the Vietnamese government. In 2024, I travelled to Siem Reap with my father. We visited sites of his battle, shared a motel room, played volleyball, and made photographs of each other. I could no longer place my father’s stories on the periphery. I needed to be nearby.

I hope people can see another affective dimension to how collaborative methods can unfold in a photographic practice. I hope they can see how intergenerational storytelling matters to many of the previously colonised communities. I hope to reframe ‘war’ as an ongoing structure, that even when the invaders have left, there is still so much to grapple with in everyday lives.’

lenguyenphuong.com
instagram.com/phuong.io

Images:

1-Phương Nguyên Lê, Untitled, 2024, from the series ‘Vở ô ly © Phương Nguyên Lê

2-Phương Nguyên Lê, Untitled, 2024, from the series ‘Vở ô ly © Phương Nguyên Lê

3-Phương Nguyên Lê, Untitled, 2024, from the series Giao Điểm © Phương Nguyên Lê

4-Phương Nguyên Lê, Untitled, 2024, from the series ‘Vở ô ly © Phương Nguyên Lê

Bringing together 66 artists from across the world, Photo Elysée recently celebrated emerging talent with the exhibition Gen Z: Shaping a New Gaze. As media partner, 1000 Words is featuring the work and accompanying texts of all participating artists in our weekly column dedicated to new voices in contemporary photography.