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This catalogue was published to commemorate the exhibition “Imaging Rhizome｜Hình dung gốc rễ” at RABA in Tokyo (April 27 – May 7, 2023).

Taking a closer look at 15 dummy books and artworks by 16 photo artists from Vietnam, “Imaging Rhizome” explores fundamental human themes—family, living environments, relationships, identity. Each of the 15 chapters is dedicated to one single dummy book and examines its background, its shape and its goals in images as well as in extensive interviews with the respective artists.
Among them are artists like Le Xuan Phong, who attempts to use photography as a shield in order to capture the loss and boredom experienced at a relative’s funeral; Lien Pham, whose work reflects on the way living between Vietnam and the United States for six years has affected her character and her experience; and Mai Nguyen Anh, who draws on a wealth of memories and records to contrast his native’s complex history before the Vietnam War with the overwhelming narrative that overshadows the country since then.

Design-wise, the book follows the exhibition’s framework and aims to constructs a non-hierarchical, rhizome-like system that allows its readers to jump in and navigate the pages based on their own associations. All texts in the book are available in Japanese and in English.

The project is a collaboration between Tokyo-based RABA and the artist-run space Studio 3Năm in Ho Chi Minh City, with editing by UNLIRICE, a platform that aims to promote creativity and foster networks between artists within the Asian region.

＊The elastic band will be chosen at random from the colors red, blue, or orange.