Artist Sarah Nguyen discovers community and inspiration in True/False Film Fest

Since moving to Columbia in 2019, artist Sarah Nguyen has cemented herself as a prominent figure in the local art scene. To Nguyen, Columbia offers something she hasn’t been able to get from other places: community. 

Unlike other places she has lived, the several festivals of Columbia give her a chance to get involved with the other artists around her. Events like The Unbound Book Festival and True/False Film Festival help foster a sense of community she did not previously have.

“I work for True/False, but it’s really working for the community,” Nguyen said. “Other than working at soup kitchens or things like that, I’ve never felt such a pull to work for the community and celebrate with [them].”

Local artist Sarah Nguyen, the True/False Film Fest art installations curator, leads the True/False Art Walk on Friday, March 1, 2024 in Columbia, Mo.

Nguyen is in her second year of working for True/False Film Fest as the Art Installation Curator. She selects a theme, puts out a call for artists to submit their work, and narrows the submissions down for a True/False committee to review. The theme this year, “The Human Paradox,” focuses largely on contradictions. The installations explore two-sided topics with nuance and discuss how humans often contradict themselves.

Submissions are evaluated based on how the art looks aesthetically, if it goes with the theme and how it would fit in the unconventional venues of True/False Film Fest. Additionally, the committee strives to include more than just local artists. Creatives based in Detroit, Alabama, Philadelphia and China are all featured in this year’s fest. 

“We want to support diversity and inclusion, [to] make sure that our artists reflect the worlds we are in today and reflect the themes that we are interested in as well,” Nguyen said.

When Nguyen first started working for the fest, she studied the history of the fest when she first joined. She used past artists as inspiration for future exhibitions, asking them what they felt True/False Film Fest could do better. The most common thing she heard was that the art should play a bigger role in the fest. The artists wanted to feel like they were a part of something instead of simply a backdrop to the films. 

To address this need, this year’s installation artists were also involved in a virtual artist residency. The residency, which lasted from November to early December, allowed artists to network with and learn from others while they prepared for the fest. In addition to displaying the installations on Columbia streets and alleys, True/False Film Fest gave artists a chance to learn about the art world.

To Xena Felicia, one of the installation artists this year, the residency helped her understand the importance of her work.

“Our curator said she was really looking forward to see my art because [it] is related to LGBTQIA culture,” Felicia said. “She tells me that Missouri is not very supportive of that sort of culture, so she hoped to use the art to bring a positive influence to society.”

Other artists were also brought in to talk about their involvement either with True/False Film Fest or different galleries. To Nguyen, getting perspectives on the art field from established creatives was a valuable experience for the installation artists. 

Installations this year include inflatable, sculptural, projection and textile pieces. Nguyen selected the speakers carefully, making sure that each had experience with a medium featured in the fest.

“I think being able to mirror the artists’ interests and what they’re already doing with these top professionals, because the people that we have showing are mid-career artists and/or emerging artists,  [was] really nice,” Nguyen said. 

The fest is just as much a learning experience for Nguyen as it is for the featured artists. Although a classically trained artist, it wasn’t until later in her career that she started working with different mediums. Being exposed to non-traditional fest installations changed Nguyen’s perspective on art’s possibilities. She has incorporated artist’s ideas about hanging, lighting and displaying art into her personal work. 

“We try to find the best way to show things safely, but also for the biggest and widest audiences as possible, because all the artwork is public … That has completely changed how I’ve looked at art, and it’s been so nice,” Nguyen said. 

Nguyen feels that the installations can also change the audience’s perspectives on art. Even though the pieces might appear straightforward, she urges viewers to reflect on the messages behind them. 

She noted Felicia’s installation, “YinYang Baby,” as a prime example of an installation about more than meets the eye. The piece itself is an inflatable, black and white flower with a baby in the center. 

Without context, one could take it for nothing more than a cute decoration. However, Felicia explained, “YinYang Baby” explores themes of gender identity and discusses what it means to be a contemporary artist in China. 

“The origin of YinYang pattern [was] created like 3000 years ago. At that time, China already had a sort of LGBTQ culture,” Felicia said. “One explanation is half this [Yin Yang] pattern is female and half this pattern is male … so combining this means a person can have both the male character and female character.”

Nguyen sees placing pieces like “YinYang Baby” on a public street in Missouri as something that can be controversial, but feels that tension is what makes the installations so important.

Nguyen hopes True/False will be able to share complex ideas through art for as long as possible. She sees the work that goes into installations, and hopes viewers will continue to give them the respect she feels they deserve.

“For True/False to give these national and international artists this huge platform, and for Colombia to do that, is really amazing,” Nguyen said. “So I hope we continue to be that, which I think this town is quite capable of. It’s done it for 21 years.”

Edited by Alex Goldstein, Alyssa Royston and Molly Levine | agoldstein@themaneater.com, aroyston@themaneater.com & mlevine@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Grace Knight | gknight@themaneater.com

Edited by Scout Hudson | shudson@themaneater.com