Twin artists, one year, a set time every day, between 30 and 1500 photos taken every day and a selection of great trousers. The result – an outstanding art project.
Words Fabiola Büchele ● Images courtesy of the Le Brothers
Many of us will have tried it at some point, a resolution to do something each and every day for a year. Only, for many of us, we start skipping a day here and there, grinding to a total halt sometime between April and May, the project completely forgotten by June. Not for the Le Brothers. What they started last 14 February they have kept up and will conclude today on Valentines Day 2015.
“You are only able to finish a project [like this] if you have enough love for the work. Fortunately we do.”
Their project has a simple enough premise. A photo of the two of them every day, posing in front of an object or painting somehow significant for the day. Many of the pictures are taken at their home in Hue, some out on the street. Technically they did miss one week in the year. Thanh was visiting his wife’s family, but not that that put a dent into the creation of the photos. Hai simply posed alone or with a portrait of his twin during those seven days.
“You are only able to finish a project [like this] if you have enough love for the work,” they told us. “Fortunately we do.” The other factor that played into keeping up the discipline was that it was a joint project, they were both invested in it. The result is a collection of 365 photos that documents a year in the life of two brothers, comments on various events of the past 12 month and makes for an artwork one wants to engage with on various levels. The Le Brothers are planning to exhibit 60 of the photographs, produce six books, as well as a 365 minute stop motion video. There will also be an exhibition of all the clothes used in the duration of the project. And those are some good clothes. In particular some extraordinarily great trousers, thanks to their wives and one of Hue’s finest tailor who respectively selected and created the garments.
Just a few days before the end of the project neither brother felt able to choose a favourite photo. Nor were they sure how they would feel, except for definitely a little empty.
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The Le Brothers have made a name for themselves both in Vietnam and abroad with their performance art pieces. They run the New Space Art Foundation in Hue, where they offer artists residencies and run regular exhibitions and events.
