press text iii - bread

The French administration implemented various other strategies globally to advance its interests, such as using monopolies camouflaged as public policy. In Vietnam, for instance, authorities restricted local alcohol production to generate revenue through sales taxes and gain control over the market, limiting local economic independence and reinforcing social control. Predictably, a black market emerged, with women often smuggling banned goods hidden in baskets of vegetables, petrol jerrycans, or wine flasks strapped beneath their clothing.    

Where 7 cm was taken for the rulers, Tieu symbolically returns 7 cl of alcohol, embedding it in loaves of bread scattered across the gallery floor. This gesture can be seen as an act of subtle rebellion, restitution, and a tribute to generations of lost heritage—most pointedly, a symbolic defiance against lingering post-colonial structures.