Diane Severin Nguyen | If I hadn’t created my own world, I would have died in someone else’s

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Diane Severin Nguyen, “In Her Time,” 2023

still (courtesy of the Artist)

Across her moving image work, Diane Severin Nguyen depicts characters driven to express the enigmatic truths of their existence. Faced with the stultifying effects of historical trauma and the ungraspable nature of intergenerational memory, Nguyen’s works explore her protagonists’ struggle to realize their agency in the present.

At the Contemporary Art Gallery, Nguyen presents, "In Her Time (Iris’ Version)", a new edit of her 2023 feature-length film, "In Her Time". Set amid the outsized period sets of Hengdian World Studios, the largest film studio in Asia, the film follows Iris, a young actress searching for her voice as she prepares for the leading role in a Chinese historical epic. Couched in the conceit of a “making of” special, "In Her Time," depicts Iris behind the scenes, rehearsing lines and describing the artistic process of coming to inhabit her character. Throughout, she deliberates over the demand the film places upon her to master performing pain and victimization. "Iris’ Version," introduces new content shot from Iris’ iPhone camera, intercutting the “official” footage with reflections on the filmmaking process from the actress’ perspective.