We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art stands and recognise the creative contribution First Australians make to the art and culture of this country.
Vuth Lyno / Cambodia b.1982 / House – Spirit (detail) 2018 / Spirit houses, steel, door and window frames / Dimensions variable / Purchased 2018. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Vuth Lyno / Image courtesy: Vuth Lyno and Sa Sa Art Projects / Photograph: Lim Sokchanlina
Vuth LynoHouse – Spirit 2018
Not Currently on Display
Vuth Lyno’s sculpture House – Spirit 2018, honours the White Building and its communities. Over time, the artist forged close relationships with the building’s residents, and as they left their homes, he collected the spirit houses that were abandoned or offered to him.
Common throughout South-East Asia, spirit houses are domestic temples or shrines that are worshipped to appease the spirits; in return, homes and businesses are protected from harm. The designs vary greatly from the highly decorative to simple bamboo structures. A tower of more than 100 shrines, House – Spirit recalls one of the modular columns of apartments and balconies that once comprised the White Building.
Vuth Lyno explores social change, community relationships and urban development in Cambodia in his practice. He often involves specific communities in his work, which is concerned with social issues and injustice. Lyno’s current project explores the legacy of the White Building in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. The White Building was home to artists, performers and craftspeople prior to its demolition in 2017 by a foreign developer.