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A brush with...In-depth artist interviews Author: The Art Newspaper
A brush with..., sponsored by Bloomberg Connects, is a podcast by The Art Newspaper that features in-depth conversations with leading international artists. Host Ben Luke asks the questions you've always wanted to: who are the artists, historical and contemporary, they most admire? Which are the museums they return to? What are the books, music and other media that most inspire them? What do they get up to in the studio every day? And what is art for, anyway?The podcast offers a fascinating insight into the inspirations, the preoccupations and the working lives of some of the most prominent artists today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Arts, Visual Arts Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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A brush with... Danh Vo
Episode 4
Tuesday, 3 March, 2026
Danh Vo talks to Ben Luke about his influences—from writers to musicians, film-makers and, of course, other artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped his life and work. Vo was born in 1975 in Bà Rja, Vietnam and raised in Denmark. He lives and works between Germany, where he has a studio in Güldenhof, 80km outside Berlin, and Mexico City. His art is often founded in personal experiences and relationships, but alludes to wider social and political conditions and structures, both present and historical. The way he reflects on his autobiography is distinctive: his art is embedded in his experience as a Vietnamese immigrant to Europe as a child and queer identity, for instance, but his collaborative practice often stems from coincidences or serendipitous occurrences in daily life. Danh uses found objects of different registers, from household items to historic religious sculptures, as well as archival images and texts, and brings them into dynamic relationships, in which the exhibition space and context is often a vital component. He also incorporates the work of other artists and designers into his installations, and his practice has been likened to that of a curator or archaeologist. Ultimately, his vision is entirely his own, but by involving the thinking and making of others, he ensures that it resonates with discussion, providing more questions than answers. He reflects on his idea to set traps for himself through his art in order to question his desires, and how that relates to the viewer’s experience of his work. He discusses the balance between his studio life in Güldenhof and his use of the exhibition space as a studio to forge his installations. He reflects on the influence of Felix Gonzalez-Torres and his writing on the work of Roni Horn, he discusses the many collaborations in his work, from that with the artist and writer Julie Ault to his project working with Martin Wong’s mother on the collection she built with her son. And he explains why William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973) has been the source for numerous works. Plus, he answers our usual questions, including the ultimate: what is art for?Danh Vo: πνεῦμα (Ἔλισσα), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, until 2 August; Danh Vo, White Cube, New York, 11 September-10 October Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
