Communication with Time, Performance, 45 min., 2005 – 2006

Le Duc Hai and Le Ngoc Thanh are twin brothers who often work together in performance, yet pursue their own interest and practice in lacquer and oil paintings. Trained as painters, they were known from their two dimension works which modernizing the lacquer painting by re-inventing unique technique to portray self portrait, still life and contemporary issue. They currently run their own gallery which cater their own works, and support young artists’ activities in Hue Area. Thanh and Hai also initiated their small community based program by working with school in Hue suburban area, to teach art to primary school students.  

Working collaboratively in their performance, the twin brothers started their first peace by exploring their ritual, wearing traditional costume, walking around the incense sticks pots, and burnt the paper for their ancestors. In ‘Communication with Time’, inspired by the idea of Siamese Twin, Eng and Chan, they started to touch each other, tied themselves with rope, and sit in front of each other with the white curtain in between. Later, they sew each other by black and white thread, and cut them at the end of the performance. This mind reading game heavily relied on their blood relationship and a trust between their brotherhoods. It gradually created a tension to the audiences while watching them acting like they watch themselves in their own mirrors, to reflect and examine their own identity as being a twin and an individual.
(GG)