The Missing Piece Project envisions a nationwide, coordinated, mass dedication of objects at the Vietnam Memorial (the Wall) on April 30, 2025 by Vietnamese, Lao, Hmong, Cambodian and other communities still affected by the conflict in Southeast Asia.
MISSING PIECES GALLERY
Click on gallery images below to learn more about objects that have been submitted to the Missing Piece Project and the stories behind them.
Video that includes the creation of a gong made from 3000 bullet casings by Stephanie Mercedes, to represent 1/1000 of the estimated 3 million lives lost during the conflict in Southeast Asia. Movements by Antonius Bui, story by Trần Văn Tâm, and poetry by Keva Bui and Joseph Nguyen. https://youtu.be/qm9jhxJDC_0
Artwork depicting Catherine Dang Wu's mother's refugee journey by moonlight. Accompanied with essay by Jianyu Chen.
Object made based on interviews with Allyson and Kenny Nguyen by Rayanne Brandt. The outside of the box is decorated, happy, and colorful, which is what Allyson and Kenny’s life looks like today, while the inside is real and raw, reflecting what most of the world does not know when they see Allyson and Kenny—memories…
A pillowcase with stitched designs of Italy and Vietnam. A representation of the experiences of the Truong family, who were brought to Italy through the "associazione genitori di Mandello" which worked in conjunction with the Italian government and under the direction of the Catholic church. Given this context and comparing it to the current closed-border…
Memories and objects that children of war are forced to forgo when they become refugees.
Narrative of our obligations to the dead, ghost stories, and intergenerational trauma.
A recreation of the only food my interviewee brought with him when he fled Vietnam; homemade peanut-filled mochi balls. He ate one and gave the rest away to others on the boat. This was the start to how he was going to make a living in America: through patchworking, the bringing together and sharing of…
An arrangement by Miranda Tomeneng of the piece "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones. The arrangement and the imagery included is inspired by an interview with Thuy Nguyen. Accompanied with an essay written by Miranda Tomeneng.
I brought stones to be placed on the mourning white cloth, and wrote Việt pronouns/familial terms on the stones (like con, em, chị, anh, cô, chú, bác, etc.) as a way to reflect on how Viet culture understands the terms "you" and "I" to be much more complex than in the English language. Using these…
A poster with poems written on puzzle pieces, titled "Broken Stories." The poems are based on interviews conducted with Dan an immigrant from Vietnam and Lan, a second-generation descendant of Vietnamese refugees, the film "New Year Baby" by Socheata Poeuv, and the text "Body Counts" by Yen Le Espiritu. Accompanied with an essay by Kelsey…
Kim Tran sings a Vietnamese folksong "Cò Lả" accompanied by a bronze gong. The song's lyrics are about a flying crane going over green fields while missing/remembering (nhớ) home.
A Kroma ក្រមាខ្មែរ (scarf) submitted by Andrea Ng, to represent the experiences of her friend June Yihouy Bo and her family. Accompanied with an essay titled "Has the War Really Ended for Cambodians?" by Andrea Ng.
A "Passport" created by Alicia Phang that shows how her parents used their diverse, mixed heritage of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Khmer identities as a strategy for survival at different times and locations.
A booklet created by Sharon Kim representing the journeys of Thuy Nguyen and his step-daughter Shana Vu.
A booklet containing photographs, descriptions, and poems by Jennifer Pham, representing several trips to Vietnam. The booklet is dedicated to her grandmother and grandfather, an officer of the ARVN.
A painting titled "Con Muốn Giúp" by Percilla Mirhadi, that depicts childrens toys, military weapons, the South Vietnamese flag, and name "C. Nguyen."
A collage by Jenny Phan with text: "We Are A People, A History, A Legacy" and layers of various photographs and drawings.
A short story by Theresa Nguyen titled "The Shadow Waves From Across the Way."
A collage image titled "Free Political Prisoners in Vietnam" created by Kristine Do-Vu.
A photograph portrait of Vivi Le, entitled "Living," by her friend Rachel Forrest. Vivi Le is half Vietnamese and half Thai. Accompanied by an essay by Rachel Forrest.
A poem dedicated to Lana and Derek, titled "Ngày Mất Nước", by Michael Peng. Accompanied with an essay by Michael Peng.
A art piece by Tricia Nguyen that includes leaves and flower petals, representing the Mekong River. Accompanied by an essay by Tricia Nguyen.
A painting made by Iris Hinh representing her mom's memories of the Vietnam War. Accompanied with an essay by Iris Hinh.
A photo series of Victoria Tonascia's friend, identified as Ms. Nguyen, representing both visible and invisible scars, and complex, layered, multifaceted memories. Accompanied with an essay by Victoria Tonascia.
A watercolor painting by Alanna Blackman representing the story of her friend, Mikey Nguyen Phan. Accompanied with an essay by Alanna Blackman.
A paper booklet by Gina Park that commemorates the experiences of her grandfather (Yoon Jae Man) and his friend (Choi Dae Suk) in the Vietnam War as a member of the South Korean armed forces. Accompanied with a transcript of an interview with Yoon Jae Man and Choi Dae Suk conducted by Gina Park and…
A glass bottle painted with the South Vietnamese flag, with photographs of Clara Nguyen's maternal and paternal grandfathers inside, and their names (Nho Đình Trần and Phiên Văn Nguyễn) written on the bottle. Accompanied by an essay written by Clara Nguyen.
A poem by Lan Nguyen about intergenerational trauma, printed on a background that makes the poem appear to be a part of the Wall.
Photo of parents of James Huynh, with a poem about their struggles in the U.S.
A white piece of fabric symbolizing a Vietnamese (khăn tang) funeral/mourning fabric, across the entire length of the memorial. Accompanied by two videos of artist Antonius Bui speaking about the object and its meaning.
"Country, Not A War" paper cut-out art piece, accompanied by poetry zine. Hand cut paper, monoprint, in plexi-glass frame.
Bottle of cultural experiences within the Cambodian, Pilipinx, Japanese, Vietnamese and broader Southeast Asian community for self-healing to build confidence to learn about personal family history.
Folded boats made from paper, funeral money, prints with "the things they carried" (refugees) on boats, and water imagery. Accompanied with two video interviews with artist Tiffany Le. https://youtu.be/CkIlWFCvwxg https://youtu.be/OPrxwGUz_kE
Poem written by Minh Vo, translated and framed by her daughter, Kim Pham.
Family Tree of Angela Tran and photos and information about Trần Anh Tuấn (uncle of Angela Tran) who trained as a pilot in the US from 1967-1973 in Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi Mississippi, and his squadron.
A recreated high school gradebook from Vietnam, based on the experiences of Kim Tran's father. Accompanied by text and video explaining the meaning behind the object.
Names of family members of Kim Tran (Nguyễn Văn Thuyên, Nguyễn Văn Vinh, Trần Văn Oanh, Trần Thị Khánh) burned into bamboo, with accompanying text telling their stories, family tree showing their relationships, and video.
Refugee Fragments Screenshots of my Ancestors by Kim Tran
SUBMIT OBJECTS
For more information about how to submit objects during our collective dedication, click here: