No Place Like Home
‘Rooms through Time’ at the Museum of the Home is one of my favourite permanent exhibits, showcasing the evolution of the British Living Room across a span of 400 years. But in order to see the most current eras, you’ll have to navigate round a massive wall of precariously stacked white plastic stools. Not exactly the furnishing most Brits expect to see in front of their telly. So what’s going on?
Wind your way clockwise and you’ll end up in a rather unique room. It’s distinctly different from all the rest, and not just because you can actually step inside. It’s filled with curvy, white tables that are so low they don’t just invite you to get close and sit to see what’s on them, they practically mandate it. So take a seat — the cushions and straw mats aren’t just decorative! — and examine the variety of works on display. It’s a welcoming invitation from an exhibit that wants you to consider “What objects create a feeling of home for you?” through the eyes of one of England’s more recent immigrant demographics.
Eight Vietnamese artists — half were born in Vietnam, some have refugee parents, and all have ended up in London — have contributed works as varied as their background and multi-cultural upbringing. There are books by Duong Thuy Nguyen and Carô Gervay that you can flip through and read. Other works are too delicate to be touched, though they also reward up close inspection. Be sure to peek inside the stoneware gourd, by AP Nguyen, for a hidden video display.
And yes, there are even items you can see without having to sit: a large abstract painting by Minh Lan Tran and a series of small found objects coated with detailed image transfers from KV Duong. I leaned in to study those but got distracted by a dog’s bark. It had come from a table covered in bootleg records and megaphones that were pumping out so many various sounds they turned into white noise. You need to lean in and listen, much like the experience of sitting in a large restaurant with communal seating. Speaking of which, the Vietnamese options on nearby Kingsland Road are a fantastic opportunity for a post show Phở. (I recommend Bûn Bûn Bûn.)
Some of the artists have infused their Vietnamese heritage into familiar Western items, while other objects might appear incredibly foreign, especially compared to the evolution of sofa styles that you’ll see in the more “traditional” British ‘Rooms through Time’ that you’ll have passed on your way in. But those floral patterned chairs and 1970s settees probably look just as foreign to the migrants and immigrants that now call London home. The city may be open, but it’s still hard work maintaining core cultures and traditions while adopting new ones. The result is almost always something new. Exhibits like this provide opportunities to examine that process, and that will certainly enhance your appreciation of the things that already bring meaning to you.
Plan your visit
‘No Place Like Home (A Vietnamese Exhibition) Part II’ runs until 11 July
FREE
Three special events are planned for this exhibition:
Tea Conversations — Sat 13 May, 1-4pm
Panel Discussion — Tue 6 June, 6-8pm
Performances — Sat 24 June, 1-4pm
Visit museumofthehome.org.uk and follow @museumofthehome on Instagram for more info about the venue and to confirm opening days/times.
Contributing artists:
KV Duong — @kvduongart
Hoa Dung Clerget — @hdclerget
Duong Thuy Nguyen — @duonguyen.thuy
Cuong Pham — @phambinho
Caro Gervay — @carogervay
Minh Lan Tran — @minhlan.tran
AP Nguyen — @_a___p_____
Koa Pham — @koapham
🖼️ Want more art? Visit the What’s On page to see a list of recommended shows, sorted by closing date. Don’t miss ‘em!