Recalling Unspoken Histories between Germany and Vietnam: Minh Duc Pham interviewed by Eva Bentcheva

Minh Duc Pham, a multimedia artist working with installation art and performance, shares his experiences and inspirations. Born in 1991 in Schlema, Saxony, to former Vietnamese contract workers in the GDR, Pham draws on the experiences of growing up between different cultural influences, exclusion and interpersonal closeness in the wake of Germany's reunification. In this interview, he describes how complex identity is a recurring theme in his art. This often explores questions of unspoken histories and identity politics.

Pham's artistic journey began with a focus on music. After first studying architecture, then exhibition design and scenography in Karlsruhe, he eventually shifted his focus to installation art and performance. In 2016 he relocated to Berlin where his work began to delve into the intersection of identity, temporality, and social interactions. To this day, his frequent use of flowers in his installations and performances serves as a metaphor for symbolic communication, coded messages and overlooked histories, especially those connecting Germany and Vietnam.

Here, he describes a number of his key works which reflect his interest in the experiences of Vietnamese contract workers in the GDR and the legacies of intergenerational trauma. These include installations and performances such as 12 Percent – Giờ ăn đến rồi! (2022/23), A High Mountain, A Sweet Dream (2023), and Gifts. For Eternity (2024), among others. Looking ahead, Pham also highlights his growing interest in the ideas of memory as a conscious construct and active process, as well care in the context of diasporic communities.

A guest contribution by Eva Bentcheva