UuDam Tran Nguyen: Waltz of the machine equestrian

Returning to Ho Chi Minh City after living in Los Angeles, UuDam Tran Nguyen was moved by the transformation of Vietnam’s rural and urban spaces through dramatic economic and industrial development. Waltz of the machine equestrian draws on a symbol of this transformation – the ubiquitous sea of motorcyclists that occupy the city – to draw attention to Vietnam’s incredible industrial advancements alongside their detrimental environmental impacts.

The video features 28 motorcycle ‘equestrians’ wearing brightly coloured poncho capes, rendering them as anonymous cogs within a larger machine. Their intricately choreographed ‘dance’ through the city is accompanied by Dmitri Shostakovich’s ‘Waltz No.2’ from his Suite for Jazz Orchestra No.2. Nguyen explains:

When I went back to Vietnam for the first time, I was amazed that most of the riders on the streets were unrecognisable. They were armed with colourful masks, helmets, riding jackets, sunglasses and gloves. Most of the women also wear brightly decorated sun skirts that cover them from their waist down to their knees. I am very interested in this sense of anonymity . . . It also reflects the realities that Saigon’s [Ho Chi Minh City’s] people are facing. They are always fighting to protect themselves from the elements.