Dinh Q. Lê: The Colony

In the video installation The Colony, the Vietnamese American artist Dinh Q. Lê (Hà Tiên, 1968) shows us the Chincha Islands off the coast of Peru from various perspectives. Whereas Lê’s previous work focuses primarily on the Vietnam War, The Colony encompasses a broader web of references to the history of colonialism and imperialism.

The Chincha Islands are home to large colonies of seabirds, which have covered the terrain in mountains of faeces, known as guano. Valued as a fertiliser, this commodity led to a battle over the islands in the 19th century. British merchants used Chinese workers to harvest the guano, while Spain and Peru fought for dominance of the islands. In 1856, the United States introduced the de Guano Islands Act, empowering itself to take charge of uninhabited islands anywhere in the world. With the development of artificial fertiliser at the beginning of the 20th century, the geopolitical conflict over guano came to an end.

Although the islands are no longer inhabited, the guano harvesting continues. We see empty buildings in the desolate landscape, in which the workers carry out the heavy work by hand. In The Colony, Lê explores the greed, absurdity and human misery associated with imperialism, both in the past and in the present.

Commissioned by Artangel, Ikon, Birmingham, Han Nefkens H+F Collection, Proyecto Amil, Lima, with additional support from, Catherine Petitgas, Private Collection, New York, Shoshana Wayne Gallery. Produced by Artangel and TANQ Studios.

The Han Nefkens Foundation supports emerging and mid-career artists by financing production and providing them with an international platform. We do this through our awards, exhibitions, scholarships and residencies in multidisciplinary areas including the visual arts, fashion and literature. The Han Nefkens Foundation works through a worldwide network of experts and art professionals. Through our activities we give outstanding, emerging artists, designers and writers the opportunity to develop their work in a global context.
Executive committee: Cesar Castillo, Han Nefkens, Felipe Rodriguez and Hilde Teerlinck

Organizer: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
Co-organizer: Han Nefkens Foundation, Barcelona