Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the woocommerce-shipping-per-product domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/staging.esse.ca/htdocs/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131

Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called incorrectly. Translation loading for the complianz-gdpr domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /var/www/staging.esse.ca/htdocs/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6131
{"id":197529,"date":"2023-08-30T16:15:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T21:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esse.ca\/?post_type=compte-rendu&p=197529"},"modified":"2025-10-08T07:52:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T12:52:46","slug":"sung-tieuinfra-specter","status":"publish","type":"compte-rendu","link":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/reviews\/sung-tieuinfra-specter\/","title":{"rendered":"Sung Tieu
Infra-Specter<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
As they enter the German-Vietnamese artist Sung Tieu\u2019s inaugural solo exhibition in the United States, Infra-Specter<\/em> at Amant, a multi-site art space in Brooklyn, visitors find themselves unwittingly immersed in an experience that challenges their perception of reality. Beginning in the reception area, Tieu has covertly installed artworks that expose the artificiality of time, sound, and energy, provoking contemplation on the hidden threats stemming from infrastructure and political policies, and on their socio-psychological ramifications.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Infra-Specter<\/em> unfolds in two parts. The first, titled Liability Infrastructure<\/em>, showcases Tieu\u2019s commissions for Amant, that shed light on hydraulic fracking sites in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Dominating the gallery is the striking installation Mural for America<\/em> (2023), a wall full of rows of stainless steel plaques resembling war memorials. Instead of commemorating fallen soldiers, each plaque bears the name of a chemical component involved in hydraulic fracking, illuminating its environmental and societal consequences. Facing the plaques stand three colossal steel pipes titled Reverberations (Marshall County, WV) <\/em>(2023), Reverberations (Greene County, PA) <\/em>(2023), and Reverberations (Ryerson Station State Park, PA) <\/em>(2023), referencing specific fracking sites. Speakers and amplifiers in the pipes emit vibrations that reverberate through the gallery\u2019s floor, viscerally highlighting the hidden tremors of infrastructural violence and immersing visitors in the unsettling reality of fracking\u2019s environmental impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"Sung-Tieu_MuralforAmerica\"
Sung Tieu<\/strong>
Mural for America<\/em>, installation view, Amant, Brooklyn, 2023.
Photo: New Document, courtesy of Amant, Brooklyn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"Sung-Tieu\"
Sung Tieu<\/strong>
Reverberations<\/em>, installation view, Amant, Brooklyn, 2023.
Photo: New Document, courtesy of Amant, Brooklyn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The exhibition\u2019s second part continues exploring unseen effects; In Cold Print<\/em> unveils Tieu\u2019s film installation Moving Target Shadow Detection<\/em> (2022), which delves into the geopolitical relationship between the United States and Cuba. Referencing the enigmatic \u201cHavana Syndrome,\u201d alleged targeted sonic attacks experienced by American and Canadian embassy staff in Havana, Tieu presents brain scans laser-engraved on stainless steel mirrors. Each mirror captures the eerie essence of the syndrome, inviting viewers to reflect on the intangible consequences of covert operations. A narrow-fenced hallway guides visitors to a smaller room featuring monitors that display looping information slides from Tieu\u2019s research exposing problematic chapters in US history, such as An American Story\u200a\u2014\u200aFrom Japanese Internment to Mexican Border Wall <\/em>(2020) and Sonic Weapon or Mass Hysteria <\/em>(2020). The juxtaposition of historical events with contemporary issues of nation-building and the military-industrial complex raises questions about the manipulative power of information and its lasting impact on collective memory. A common thread weaves through both parts of the exhibition, revealing the intricate web of information constructed by governments, special interest groups, and bureaucratic machinery. This infrastructure of secrecy obscures, perpetuates, and conceals the profound psychological, emotional, and physical impacts that their projects and policies impose on people. As visitors traverse the exhibition, the boundaries between fact and fiction blur, challenging their ability to discern truth from falsehood. Tieu\u2019s masterful integration of video, sound, texts, and architectural interventions invites inquiries into the recurrent ghostly phenomena that shape our history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"Sung-Tieu\"
Sung Tieu<\/strong>
Infra-Specter<\/em>, exhibition view, Amant, Brooklyn, 2023.
Photo: New Document, courtesy of Amant, Brooklyn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Infra-Specter<\/em> prompts contemplation on the malleability of information and its profound influence on perception. Through the intricate interplay of visual, auditory, and immersive elements, Tieu creates an environment in which visitors are encouraged to critically examine the systems of power and control that shape their lives and reflect upon the phantom experiences that permeate our shared history, underscoring the fragility of our understanding and the complex interplay between visibility and concealment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Associate curator at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Treaty 4 Territory, Tak Pham holds a BA (Hons.) in history and theory of architecture from Carleton University and an MFA in criticism and curatorial practices from OCAD University.<\/p>\n
Sung Tieu, Tak Pham<\/div>
Sung Tieu, Tak Pham<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amant,<\/strong> Brooklyn
<\/br>March 30\u200a\u2014\u200aSeptember 24, 2023<\/br>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":197428,"template":"","categories":[884],"numeros":[6594],"disciplines":[],"statuts":[],"checklist":[],"auteurs":[947],"artistes":[6652],"thematiques":[],"type_compte-rendu":[],"class_list":["post-197529","compte-rendu","type-compte-rendu","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","numeros-109-water","auteurs-tak-pham-en","artistes-sung-tieu-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/compte-rendu\/197529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/compte-rendu"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/compte-rendu"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/197428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=197529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"numeros","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/numeros?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"disciplines","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disciplines?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"statuts","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/statuts?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"checklist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/checklist?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"auteurs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/auteurs?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"artistes","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artistes?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"thematiques","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thematiques?post=197529"},{"taxonomy":"type_compte-rendu","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.esse.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type_compte-rendu?post=197529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}