Unity

2025

Stainless steel, quartz, glass, light, and sound

A circular arrangement of 18 metal trees

A site-specific installation

A Historical Memory Reimagined Through Contemporary Art

On August 19, 1945, the August Revolution marked a pivotal moment in Vietnam’s history. This nationwide uprising saw millions of Vietnamese from all walks of life—farmers, workers, and intellectuals—unite in a collective struggle for independence. In Hanoi, vast crowds converged on the Hanoi Opera House and key public spaces, including the 19/8 Flower Garden, raising the red flag with a golden star and proclaiming the birth of a free Vietnam. This triumph paved the way for the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The August Revolution remains a symbol of national unity, resilience, and the unyielding pursuit of self-determination.

To honor this spirit of unity, Unity is installed at the 19/8 Flower Garden—the very site that bore witness to Hanoi’s triumphant uprising 80 years ago. Here, trees are not merely living organisms but metaphors for resilience, the pursuit of freedom, and the collective strength of a nation. From steel trunks to doves in flight, from light to wind, every element coalesces into a “living universe” of memory and hope.

Beyond the Green of Trees

Unity comprises 18 metal “trees” arranged in a circular formation, evoking a “forest of light.” Each tree, crafted from stainless steel, tapers elegantly toward its crown, embodying both the grace and resilience of natural forms. Building on her previous works, Flowers of Life and Resurrection, Tia-Thuy Nguyen and her team have refined a distinctive fabrication technique: hand-welded sculptural compositions that define her signature “metal trees.”

In contrast to the textured surfaces of her earlier works, the trees in Unity are polished and brushed to a luminous sheen, transforming them into abstract symbols of vitality and aspiration.

Adorning their surfaces are delicate elements—flowers, leaves, doves, and pinwheels—crafted from quartz, glass, ceramic, and stainless steel. This interplay of hard and soft, sturdy and fragile, creates a harmonious visual language that bridges contemporary art with traditional craftsmanship.

In an era dominated by mass production, Tia-Thuy Nguyen champions handcrafting as “a commitment to sustainable value” in art.

A Space Where the Audience Completes the Work

Situated in a public space, Unity seamlessly integrates into Hanoi’s urban fabric. As viewers step into the circular installation, they transcend the role of observer to become part of the artwork itself, where light, sound, memory, and emotion converge. For the artist, the audience is the final collaborator, completing the work’s meaning. Standing among the gleaming metal trees, historical memory transforms from a distant past into a lived, existential experience. This reflects a core tenet of 21st-century contemporary art: the viewer is not merely a spectator but a co-author of meaning.