1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix

The Southeast Asian Diaspora Project (SEAD) in partnership with Minnesota Museum of American Art (the M) is proud to present 1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix. The exhibition will showcase work by Southeast Asian diaspora artists. As part of reimagining the 45th anniversary of the diaspora, SEAD has gathered stories from the community and worked with artists to respond to stories with visual artworks.

Featured artists are based in the Twin Cities, nationally, and internationally, and include Kat Eng, Van Hai, Sisavanh Houghton, and Chantala Kommanivanh, with additional works by Xee Reiter, Leyen Trang, and Christina Vang. The exhibition will also include works created in collaboration between artists and SEAD. 1.5 is a sense of feeling, concept, truth, and tunnel. It’s a reflection of the unspoken boundaries in the past, present and future for the Southeast Asian diaspora. 1.5 describes those who arrived on American soil under the age of 12, their complex and complicated displacement, and the fragments of their memories and dreams by a handful of selected artists who are either 1.5 or their descendents. The exhibit will be a compelling and complex take on the Southeast Asian diaspora experience; which is fraught with fragments of memories straddling in the grey area between these worlds.

Curated by SEAD Project Founder and Executive Director Chanida Phaengdara Potter in collaboration with the M’s Curator of Exhibitions Laura Joseph and Curatorial Assistant Mia Laufer, 1.5 will include art across media, including painting, sculpture, video, and interactive installation. A zine written by SEAD and community partners will accompany the exhibition.

Artists:
Chantala Kommanivanh, Chicago, IL
Sisavanh Houghton, Nashville, TN
Kat Eng, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN
Van Hai, Vientiane, Laos
Christina Vang, Saint Paul, MN
Leyen Trang, Minneapolis, MN
Xee Reiter, Saint Paul, MN
 

RELATED PROGRAMS
Thursday, September 24 / 6:00 p.m. / virtual
1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix Virtual Exhibition Kick-Off 

Join a Facebook Live event for welcome remarks from Chanida Phaengdara Potter, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Diaspora Project (SEAD) and curator of 1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix, a new art experience at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. Remarks will be followed by a virtual tour created by Hlee Lee-Kron.  

Saturday, September 26 / 1:00–3:00 p.m. / 350 Robert Street, St. Paul  
1.5: Drive-thru 1.5 Zine Giveaway  
Grab your mask and meet us outside the M's entrance at 350 Robert Street in downtown St. Paul to pick up your free copy of an original zine created for 1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix, an exhibition that can be experienced entirely from public space. 

Thursday, October 8 / 6:30–8:00 p.m. / virtual
1.5 Reimaginings: A Collision Course in Time + Dual Pandemics 

Tune in on Zoom or Facebook Live to join Chanida Phaengdara Potter, Executive Director of the Southeast Asian Diaspora Project, in conversation with Kat Eng, Van Hai, Chantala Kommanivanh, Sisavanh Phouthavong, and Xee Reiter, artists showcased in 1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix.  

The conversation will be moderated by Renee Ya, a multimedia Hmong American artist, co-founder of the technology and gaming company Tiger Byte Studios, and mother to the next generation of feisty women warriors. 

Together, they will move through time to reflect on the 45th commemoration of diasporas from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, racism against Asian Americans that has flared since COVID-19, the relationship between the cyclical violence of American imperialism and white supremacy, and community-centered pathways to healing and thriving. 

Sunday, October 25 / 1:00–3:00 p.m. / 350 Robert Street, St. Paul
1.5: Pause & Pa Kwan Art Kit Pick-Up
Grab your mask and drive by the M's entrance at 350 Robert Street in downtown St. Paul to pick up your free 1.5: Pause & Pa Kwan Art Kit, which includes art supplies and activities for you to engage with 1.5: A Southeast Asian Diaspora Remix from the comfort of your home. 

Thursday, January 21st / 12:30 p.m / virtual
1.5: Scattered Diasporas and The Critical Renewal  
Reimagining and thriving in a pandemic world is something African, Asian, Latinx and other diasporas have been doing for as long as they can remember. This robust multicultural conversation will be moderated by Amanda Cortes.
Free pre-registration is required.