Para Site

Journey with the Jrai: stories through Epic (poems) and personal encounters

Date
Nov 23, 2024
Time
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Venue

Para Site
22/F, Wing Wah Ind. Building, 677 King's Road
Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
Photography courtesy of Art Labor, Para Site, Hong Kong and T:> Works, Singapore. Photo: Luu Thi Tuong Vi and Truong Minh Tuan｜圖片由藝術勞工、香港Para Site藝術空間及新加坡T:> Works提供。攝影：Luu Thi Tuong Vi 和 Truong Minh Tuan

Join us for this public event as part of the exhibition ‘Cloud Chamber’, featuring a conversation with ethnohistorian Dang Anh-Minh Nguyen and Jrai community organiser Hril Siu, both with extensive research and community experience in the cultural preservation of the Central Highlands. In dialogue with curator Celia Ho, they will share insights into the rich traditions, stories, and cultural expressions of the Jrai community. This session will explore the intersection of art and anthropology in understanding indigenous cultures, focusing on the oral traditions of epic storytelling. Epics are a vital spiritual and cultural legacy, performed through a captivating blend of storytelling, music, and performance. As we journey through the practices of the Jrai community, the speakers will illuminate the contemporary life of the community, connections between tradition and modernity, as well as the challenges faced in preserving their heritage and amplifying indigenous voices.

The session will be conducted in English in person at Para Site and also online via Zoom. Free and open to all.

Following the session will be a curator-led public tour of the exhibition ‘Cloud Chamber’ in English at 1:30pm.

Zoom meeting link
Meeting ID: 852 8177 7806
Passcode: 788618

About

Dang Anh-Minh Nguyen

Dang Anh-Minh Nguyen is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Toronto. She earned her PhD in History and Religious Anthropology from the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE), Université Paris Sciences & Lettres (PSL). She has also participated in several research projects of the École Française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO) in Vietnam exploring the histories of the Centre and Central Highlands of Vietnam. Anh-Minh’s research focuses on the histories of ethnic minorities in the Centre and Central Highlands of Vietnam, with particular emphasis on the Bahnar and Jrai. Her studies integrate in-depth archival research, long-term fieldwork, and the use of sources in the languages of these ethnic minorities, including epics and folk songs.

 

Hril Siu

Hril Siu, a Vietnamese national of Jrai origin, has extensive experience in Vietnam as an adventure sports tour guide. After obtaining his Master of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, he returned to Vietnam to work as a community development and cultural preservation coordinator in the Central Highlands. In 2014, he co-founded Plei Jrai, promoting community-based enterprises and preservation efforts in traditional crafts. He has also published two volumes of Jrai Epics (Sử thi), transcribing and translating oral folk epics from elderly local artists to preserve and disseminate this cultural heritage. With robust expertise in community-based tourism, Hril serves as the director of the Center for Impact Innovation and Sustainability (CIIS) of KisImpact Social Enterprise, working also as a consultant on cultural heritage, community-based tourism, and sustainable development projects across various provinces in Vietnam.