In Conversation with Tùng Monkey
Courstey of Artist
Tùng Monkey, also known as Le Thanh Tung, is a Vietnamese visual artist and creative director with over 15 years of experience in the field. He's known for his innovative and experimental approach to art, particularly in combining digital illustration, real-time computer graphics, and other high-tech tools like AR/VR, 3D printing, and AI. He's also a VJ, whose visual performances have taken him to various events and exhibitions worldwide.
I had the pleasure of asking Tùng about the period of art that interests them the most, what message or meaning they want to convey in their art, and so much more.
UZOMAH: Why do you create art?
TUNG: Art, for me, is like a means to help me expand my mind to “new lands”. My body may have physical and geographical limitations, but I want my mind to be completely freed from that through art.
U: Can you describe a typical day in the studio for you?
T: I spend 2 hours every morning focusing on my work, then spend most of the rest of my time searching for new material through reading the news, watching YouTube, sometimes Netflix. My studio is a 70m2 room full of electronic equipment and prints, but it is quite neatly arranged. I also use my studio space to collaborate with other artists when there is a project. But before all activities, I will have a cold-brew Coffee or Americano diluted with ice.
KU a Dreamer by Tùng Monkey (Image courtesy of HeritageSG)
U: What message or meaning about your creative process do you want your art to convey?
T: I still remember many years ago when I started painting with a dreamy, positive and joyful feeling, I want my audience to feel the same when they experience my work.
U: When faced with feedback and criticism on your work from clients or peers, how do you approach and respond?
T: I think that is also the truth of the world that both I and my work have to face: you will be judged. For me, this is the next step to complete the work after I have finished it for the exhibition, the work needs to "mature" itself with the public. On the other hand, I believe that feedback or comments on the work will help it to be more present in real life and have a soul.
KU a Dreamer by Tùng Monkey (Image courtesy of HeritageSG)
U: Is there any period of time in art that interests you the most? How has it influenced your artistic process?
T: I think the current period is the best, it is very promising, there are many new possibilities opening up, I have access to many new tools, and I have also shaped my artistic story, and I know what I have to do next. Although I have been practicing art for more than 10 years in many roles, for me this period has really given me clear goals, after my solo exhibition Neo Nirvana in early 2024.
U: Was there any difference in how you prepared and created for the festival versus creating for an exhibition with a gallery?
T: This is my second time exhibiting at an art festival, the last time was last year in Bali for Indonesia Bertutur, so I don’t really have much experience. While my works at the gallery are limited to the physical space there, exhibiting at a festival gives me more options for the space to display my works, and also a longer exhibition time. I am attending the Singapore Night Festival, which is also a challenge that I am proud to have overcome. We produced almost all of the works in Vietnam, then disassembled and shipped to Singapore. For me, exhibiting at festivals gives me challenges and memorable experiences, and also trips. I always look forward to the trips!
KU a Dreamer by Tùng Monkey (Image courtesy of HeritageSG)
U: Is there anything you can express in art that you find difficult to articulate verbally? What is it about art that gives it this unique expressive power?
T: The most interesting (and fascinating) thing about art to me is its ability to convey the artist’s emotions and spirit to the viewer through the work. I am not a person who is good at theory and research, so instead of words, I try to use the visual image of the work as a tool to convey the ideas I want to convey, and it really works. Many viewers have shared their feelings after experiencing it and what surprised me was that there were many things I did not write in the description but they felt themselves, like an invisible communication.
U: How do you incorporate storytelling into your artwork, and what role does technology, such as digital media or interactive installations, play in that process?
T: In my works, I pay a lot of attention to how I tell the story. For example, with a screen, what will it display and where will it play a role in the story. With a work that includes both sculpture and screen installation like KU a Dreamer at Singapore Night Fest, most of the viewers will approach the Kinetic screen and interact with it, and they will step away to see the screen better, to look to the side and realize that the boy KU is sitting there and looking up at the screen with them. With this connection, I have placed the images of the “dream” as the center of the work on the Kinetic screen, it will be the center connecting the pieces together. This example shows you how important the layout of the work in the exhibition space is, it will create an experiential path for the viewer and decide whether your story is told properly or not.
KU a Dreamer by Tùng Monkey (Image courtesy of HeritageSG)
U: How have the advancements in technology, particularly in the digital realm, influenced and perhaps even challenged your creative process?
T: I am glad that I chose technology as the main medium in my work, because technology is the breath of the times. Technological advances have continuously reshaped our society, and so does art. I use technology as a way to bring the times into my work. In addition, new technologies also open up new materials and new possibilities for visual artists like me. The only challenge, I think, is to stay true to my artistic concept and story no matter how I use technology.
U: Why is it a crucial time to make art in terms of the societal and political times we are in currently?
T: After moving to more physical works such as sculptures and visual installations, I noticed that people not only go to exhibitions or festivals to see the works, but also to interact and gather with each other. This has become an important social activity, compared to the current context where people are increasingly isolated and prefer to communicate with each other through screens. What makes you enjoy going out more than visiting an outdoor installation or a visual art performance in a public square?
For more information about Tùng Monkey’s artwork and future projects, please visit his site here. He can also be found on Instagram and Facebook.
