Generations: 40 Hues Between Black and White

2015 marks the fortieth anniversary of the beginning of the exodus of over a million Vietnamese people to other countries for political, economic, and other reasons following the end of the Vietnam conflict. For some, the irrevocable changes that accompanied the conflict's end resulted in the loss of a way of life. For others, it ushered in new beginnings. And for many, both were equally true. Collaboratively organized by the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art (OCCCA) and the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA), Generations: 40 Hues Between Black & White aims to present a survey of the thematic concerns of artists of Vietnamese heritage and artists inspired by Vietnam over the past forty years. Change, displacement, identity, and memory are recurring themes that weave through the artworks of the exhibition. By presenting many "hues" of artworks, the exhibition hopes to express the multiplicity of generations of artists and viewpoints, and to counter black-or-white, good-or-bad judgment and politics.