TRANSCRIPT, 1:1:INFINITY, ISSUE 4

“I Live less in Vietnam than I live in The Netherlands - I Live in Netherlands more than I live in Vietnam” by Pris Roos at MAMA, Rotterdam
DESCRIBed by ELOISE SWEETMAN, December 2020

AUDIO: AMBIENT STREET NOISE

I am standing on the street in Rotterdam called Witte de Withstraat, which is the main drag in Rotterdam. It’s cold today. Grey and drizzling, which is actually not common for Rotterdam. Quite often there are days where the light is just like those old paintings by the Dutch Masters. Gold light and blue sky.  

I am standing on the street outside MAMA an exhibition space on Witte de Withstraat. MAMA supports the works of emerging artists and curators and is important for the careers of many practices. From the large window, I can see a man and a child talking to the host, and I am worried that I won’t be able to enter as I am late for my booked time. So I am looking through the window and I can see bags of rice standing upward, and open. The big woven red and white bags that are familiar, the ones you see at the markets and at the tokos. This work is by Dutch artist Pris Roos and it is based on the story of her childhood friend’s mother, A vinh Tran, who fled Vietnam in 1970s after the war began.

AUDIO: AMBIENT EXHIBITION NOISE

I am now standing on the other side of the window.

All the bags of rice are open, within a wooden structure, a boat.

All the bags are open, huddled together, but two are alone.

All the bags are open, and from one I can scoop up a portion of rice with a metal cup.

All the bags are open, and offered to me.

I am crouching down to read a conversation between Roos and Tran. It’s so personal.

Tran says to Pris, “I Live less in Vietnam than I live in The Netherlands - I live in Netherlands more than I live in Vietnam”.

 I return outside and look back in.

 AUDIO: AMBIENT STREET NOISE