Deconstructing the Political Persona in Nguyễn Đức Đạt’s Misprints of bibi

Abstract

Nguyễn Đức Đạt’s painting series, Misprints of bibi, offers a powerful critique of political representation and the fragility of authority, which this essay deconstructs through the lens of Jacques Derrida’s philosophy. The analysis centers on Derrida’s concept of the passe-partout, which encompasses all external elements, from the artwork’s title and materials to its institutional context that frame and shape its interpretation. The works, which are distorted screen prints of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, destabilize the unified political persona by presenting the figure as fragmented and incomplete. The essay argues that various artistic and curatorial choices, such as the title "Misprints," the exhibition title "The World as a Draft," the use of industrial screen printing, the purposeful numerical disorder (#3, #4, #2, #1), and the blurring of frames with the gallery walls, all function as passe-partout. These elements collectively dissolve the traditional boundaries between the art, its physical context, and the viewer, thereby challenging the idea of the artwork as a self-contained entity with a singular meaning. This intentional disruption aligns with deconstruction's emphasis on deferred meaning and provisionality. By fracturing and re-contextualizing a prominent political figure, Nguyễn encourages viewers to question the constructed narratives of power, authority, and legitimacy, particularly in relation to the Israel-Palestine conflict. The work ultimately challenges the authoritative frameworks that govern both artistic and political understanding.