» One Line Man

The works Long Time No See, One Line Man and Vietnamese Veteran Testimonial result from the project Long Time No See, exploring the memory of the American War in Vietnam and the ongoing legacy of chemical warfare. Over a two year period (2018–2022), Orejarena & Stein worked closely with a community of Vietnamese veterans and their descendants who live at Lang Huu Nghi – a residence in Hanoi for veterans and younger generations affected by Agent Orange, a genetically mutating chemical weapon used by the US during the war.

One Line Man is a neon sculpture that stems from a drawing made by Nguyen Tien Hung during an artistic exchange led by Orejarena & Stein at Lang Huu Nghi, Hanoi. Together, Orejarena & Stein and Nguyen Tien Hung workshopped materials to expand this portrait of a man into different forms. The use of neon lights was drawn from films and images of the US. The artists use pop American language in the context of discussing the aftermath of the American War in Vietnam to underscore the questions of soft power and imperialism in the US – a critical issue seldom looked at in American pop culture.

(Edited from text excerpts provided by the artists and Sara van Bussel)