In January 2009, curators Trâm Lê and Lan Dương organized an art exhibit called F.O.B. II: Art Speaks[Nghệ Thuật Lên Tiếng]. The exhibit, scheduled for January 9 to 18, was sponsored VAALA. Showcasing the work of over fifty visual and performance artists, F.O.B. II illuminated the diversity of political and aesthetic perspectives in the Vietnamese and diasporic artistic communities. The artworks dealt with sexuality, identity, refugee histories, and contemporary political issues like Obama’s presidency and Proposition 8 in California.