We the people

Artistic work - sculpture
Author
Stored in
Artist's archive
Work technique
copper, drawing
Year
Work dimensions
Ambient dimension
Tags

Raised in a family that fled Vietnam to settle in Denmark, Danh Vo explores how cultural values, conflicts and traumas are passed down through generations, combining his personal experiences with historical and political events. The artist integrates in his artistic practice the challenges related to cultural assimilation and the political circumstances they have influenced its migration. We The People, a large sculptural work created between 2010 and 2014 and exhibited on several occasions, represents a segmented version of the famous Statue of Liberty by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. Vo created this replica in approximately 250 individual pieces, maintaining faithfulness to the original both in the materials used and in the manufacturing techniques. However, he chose not to completely assemble the pieces, inviting observers to explore the icon from different angles perspectives and reflect on the concept of freedom. The work combines numerous historical references and cultural, highlighting the similarities and differences between the production process of the 19th century century and the current global economic system. While the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States and built primarily by French workers, Vo's work was conceived in Germany, manufactured in Shanghai and supported by a global network of galleries, collections and artistic institutions