What does the preservation of cultural memory look like under oppressive regimes? Artist Alison Nguyen explores this question in her exhibition “Perforation, Ellipse” at Storefront for Art and Architecture. Vietnamese Bolero music plays throughout the installation—also referred to as “yellow music”, Bolero was banned in Vietnam following the fall of Saigon in 1975 and later revived in the ‘90s, with covers upon covers sung by Vietnamese elders over the years.

Writer Bri Ng Schwartz spoke to Nguyen about her cinematic impulses, developing a multimedia experience in an untraditional space, Vietnamese Bolero, and the seasonal relevance of the exhibit.