Presented during the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War’s end, this exhibition continues AAI’s 2025 of Artist/Activist themes, honoring memory, trauma, and resilience through embodied practice.
On the opening night, Anh Vo presented Untitled (Break Fast), a live performance centered around a possession-style speech delivered over steaming pho broth. The ritual unfolds as Vo irons their own body, accompanied by Kristel Baldoz as a ritual assistant and live drumming by Isaac Silber. As steam rises, the performance culminates in a symbolic act of self-mutilation.
For this exhibition, Anh Vo’s first solo exhibition, I contributed recording engineering and sound design for the audio installation on view at Asian Arts Initiative in Philadelphia, PA. The live recording session (pictured to the left) took place at initial research in SoHo, NY on July 11th, 2025, with Anh Vo, Kristel Baldoz and Justin Cabrillos on vocals, and Ethan Philbrick on cello, gabby fluke-mogul on violin, and Jessica Pavone on viola.