An-My Lê: Small Wars closed on 4 May 2007. For details of our current exhibitions, take a look at our what’s on page.
A showcase of two related bodies of An-My Lê’s work about the world of war re-enactment, giving shape to the artist’s experience of growing up in war-torn Vietnam and coming to the USA as a political refugee.
An-My Lê was born in Vietnam in 1960, grew up in Saigon during the Vietnam War, and moved to the United States as a political refugee in 1975. This exhibition brought together two photographic series in which the artist explores issues of conflict and war in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Small Wars (1999–2002) depicts men who re-enact battles from the war in Vietnam in the forests of Virginia on weekends. 29 Palms (2003–2004) documents the military base of the same name in the California desert where soldiers train before being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Funding for this exhibition was provided by the Lanan Foundation. It was organised by the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College, Chicago, USA.
