Mo Art Space cordially presents the project “This world is perfectly stunning, let us make it truly blinding” – a solo exhibition by artist Tèo Phạm, co-created with a scientist from the future: T.P.

Going beyond a conventional showcase of paintings, the project is a spatial experiment built upon a speculative narrative structure. The exhibition places viewers at the intersection of two timelines: Tèo Phạm’s 2026 – where sketches of bizarre creatures are born from pure artistic intuition, and T.P’s 2136 – a post-apocalyptic future where extreme scientific interventions have reached a complete dead end.

By juxtaposing the studio of a present-day artist with the remnants of a 22nd-century laboratory, the exhibition blurs the boundary between the irrationality of art and the logic of science. Here, the enigmatic creatures on canvas are no longer mere visual imageries; they are elevated into biological “top-secret keys” awaiting their awakening. Consequently, the exhibition space invites viewers into a cross-century dialogue: can the century-old sketches of an unknown artist truly be the last resort for a future on the brink of collapse?

STATEMENT

T.P. – a creator from the year 2136, has traveled back in time to 2026 to reunite with his grandfather, an obscure painter named Tèo Phạm. He returned to the past not to alter the course of history, but to grasp the core ideology hidden beneath the works left behind by his predecessor. For in the world 110 years later, humanity is hurtling toward the brink of extinction due to unprecedented, devastating wars.

Having spent his entire life in a laboratory tasked with finding a salvation for mankind, T.P sought to use biological interventions to restructure both human physiology and psychology, forcing them into submission to correct their flaws and protect the Earth. Yet, after thousands of failed experiments, he realized that the classified key lay within the mystical creations sketched by his grandfather a century prior. That is why, in the year 2026, a 78-year-old scientist decided to stand before his grandfather, who had only just crossed into his 30s.

CONCEPT

The story begins in the year 2136. T.P, a 78-year-old creator of the 22nd century, is the grandson of Tèo Phạm—an obscure painter. Exposed to his grandfather’s art from early childhood, T.P. grew up immersed in a world filled with bizarre drawings and sketches of mystical creatures that the old man had painstakingly brought to life. It was this grotesque world that shaped T.P.’s lifelong ideology: he wanted to use science to realize the visions his grandfather had only ever dreamed of in the realm of art. T.P. entered the medical field not to learn, but to redefine it. He claimed the top of his class, then proceeded to tear through his master’s and doctoral degrees at a terrifying speed. The academia of the time realized with horror that his theories were a whole century ahead of their time. Just when it seemed his life was fully accomplished, a catastrophic crisis struck.

Conflict broke out in a form that had never existed before: soldiers equipped with modified genomes, possessing abilities far beyond normal human limits. Bitterly, those were none other than T.P’s own inventions, originally designed to help humans adapt to Earth’s harsh future conditions. His laboratory destroyed, he narrowly survived by hiding in a backup bunker deep underground. What was once his faith and life’s achievement vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing but absolute fury. The time had come for him to reboot the project he had buried for decades—the final salvation for a humanity on the brink of collapse.

Tèo Phạm’s century-old sketches of mystical creatures, along with experiments on powerful beasts capable of infiltrating the human mind, had been carefully preserved by T.P., awaiting the day of awakening. And that time was now. This was not a new project; T.P. had been quietly developing it for decades, but one core missing link remained open, preventing the experiment from succeeding. Furthermore, his time was running out as his blindness grew more severe by the day.

“It is time to use it,” T.P. mused.

Pressing his withered palm against the biometric scanner, the door hissed softly and slid open. He stepped into the secret room. A massive architectural structure occupying half the space loomed ahead—there it was, the time machine powered by dark matter. The very thing old Stephen Hawking never thought could exist now stood towering right in front of T.P. “Only at the end of his life did father let me know it actually existed,” he murmured as he began to boot up the system.

The machinery wailed loudly; the warning systems inside the bunker reacted violently. The entire power grid of the city above went pitch black in an instant—the exorbitant price for a round-trip ticket into the quantum realm. “To think it’s only when I’m nearly in the grave that I get to experience this. Even if it fails, it is a magnificent thing.” He put on his protective suit, stepped into the pod, closed the glass canopy, and pressed the button.

“Pop!”

The sound was incredibly faint, a stark contrast to the roaring shrieks of the machinery just moments before. T.P. found himself standing inside an art studio—or perhaps, something much more than that.

About Artist

Tèo Phạm (b. 1996), born Phạm Văn Vũ in Lien Nghia (Lam Dong), later moved to Da Lat with his family. He graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts in 2020 and currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tèo Phạm has participated in several domestic group exhibitions such as “Same Same But Different” (The Factory Contemporary Art Centre, HCMC, 2020); “Foliage IV” (Vincom Contemporary Art Centre VCCA, Hanoi, 2022). His recent solo shows have also attracted considerable public attention such as “What’s left behind the Rectum? Chapter 1: The Feast of the Digestive System” (Uom Art Hub, HCMC, 2021); “Huh? Why Am I Here?” (XYZ Cafe & Art Space, HCMC, 2023); and What Remains Behind the Rectum? – Chapter 2: The Great Excretion (Mo Art Space, Hanoi, 2023).

About Mo Art Space

Founded with the aim of contributing to the development of Vietnam’s cultural and artistic landscape, Mo Art Space is committed to supporting Vietnamese artists and fostering meaningful engagement between art and the public. Located in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Mo Art Space serves as a bridge between audiences and contemporary art, focusing on the discovery, selection, and presentation of contemporary artworks by Vietnamese artists within a distinctive exhibition setting.

Through carefully curated exhibitions, Mo Art Space showcases a wide range of artistic practices and media, exploring themes that reflect the intersections of past and present, tradition and future, heritage and contemporary life. We are dedicated to promoting Vietnamese contemporary artists with long-term commitment, helping to bring their works, ideas, and artistic philosophies to a broader network of collectors and art enthusiasts both in Vietnam and internationally.

Venue
Mo Art Space, B3 Floor, 136 Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Artists
Tèo Phạm

Exhibition Dates
July 21 – August 30, 2026

Opening Hours
Tuesday – Sunday | 9 AM – 8 PM

Website
https://www.moart.vn/en/home

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mo_artspace/

Contact
info@moart.vn

(Text and images courtesy of Mo Art Space)