The second edition of ISEAA’s UOB Southeast Asian Virtual Residency project brought Vietnamese contemporary artist UuDam Tran Nguyen to Singapore. For his first solo exhibition in Singapore, his installations offered an unconventional take on socio-economic issues, particularly consumerist behaviours.

A large wall installation with nearly 300 small canvases was displayed alongside a striking showcase of polished bronze "weapons" modelled after shapes of countries, where one such "weapon" was dramatically installed to engage with the wall, representing the power of anger and hatred. UuDam blurred the line between art and trash with his "diary" of mundanities composed of canvases, beer bottles, shopping bags, transforming everyday expressions into artistic ones.  Clenched fists on canvases "yelling" became his mouthpieces, and "muffled" voices by wrapping layers and drawing on them — challenging viewers to reconsider their relationship with objects and their environment through his thought-provoking installations.

As part of his residency, UuDam conducted a Southeast Asian masterclass on 2-3 August in a drawing and ceramic workshop with students exploring alternative materials and communicating critical issues in artmaking.