C.V. | Project | Publications
Research Interests
Urban design; Urban aesthetics; Atmospheres; Heritagization; Mobilities; Citizenship
Research Area(s)
Vietnam (Red River Delta, Southeast Region)
Profile
I am a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology of Economic Experimentation and a member of the research group “Constructing Urban Futures in Asia” headed by Christoph Brumann. I have a Master’s Degree in International Cultural and Business Studies with a focus on Southeast Asian Studies from the University of Passau.
My research addresses how state-society relations in Vietnam are negotiated and expressed through everyday practices in urban contexts, how urban planning processes are shaped by distinct notions of modernity and civilization, and how transformations of the built environment materially express the changing aspirations of citizens, planners, and officials. I have written on street vendors, artists, and motorbike taxi drivers, among other topics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I focused on communication practices and how the pandemic was framed to mobilize citizens and gain legitimacy. More recently, I have turned my attention to heritage and how historic sites and buildings are preserved, referenced, or reframed for domestic tourists.
In my PhD research, I am studying the design of new urban areas around Ho Chi Minh City from the perspective of architects and planners. These new urban areas combine residential and tourist functions in one space and reference foreign places in their architecture and marketing. In studying the design process of these new urban areas, I am especially interested in the role of aesthetics; how they have developed historically, how they are embedded in global hierarchies of taste, and how they are communicated and negotiated between the different stakeholders.
I look beyond the visual and functional aspects of design to explore the respective urban atmospheres referenced and created in these new cities, including soundscapes and artificial landscapes. Finally, I also ask what underlying visions of ideal urban living are inherent in these designs and how architects relate these to the everyday practices of existing Vietnamese cities.