Art lovers  have a chance to enjoy the surreal work of Japanese artist Hiraki Sawa at a video exhibition in the Vincom Centre for Contemporary Art (VCCA).

The exhibition named Fragments features 12 videos and three print paintings delicately crafted by Hiraki.

“VCCA wants to highlight the importance of introducing a new form of art to the public in a unique way to touch the soul of humans in the era of information. Coming to art video, one can enjoy art in their own way,” said Mizuki Endo, VCCA’s Art Director and curator of the exhibition.

“This is an art space rich in emotions, an opportunity for the public to experience new notions and perceptions. The image and audio in his works are carefully arranged and inter-woven with the space,” said Mizuki Endo at the launch of the event on August 3.

Fragments is regarded as one of the leading art exhibitions in terms of installation, equipment and space exhibition in Viet Nam. It introduces Sawa’s work which creates a fantasy world.

It includes the widely exhibited video Dwelling (2002) where the artist’s apartment serves as both a domicile and international airport where airplanes take off, land, and travel throughout the interior space of the apartment.  

The works of art are exhibited in the form of fragments – the small and fragmented pieces so that it is not easy for audience to get the full story at the beginning but they would rather use their own imagination, connecting symbols and hidden meaning to see the story by themselves.

Through the art videos with multi layers of meaning, Hiraki brings to the audience a notion of time, memory, the migration, the movement of humans and one’s own position in today world. The combination of animated movements and still images creates an art space of fantasy and reality. The exhibition brings audience a unique and purely artistic experience.

In the framework of the exhibition, VCCA also hosts two talkshows that give audience an insight into art video and art practice of the artist.

Hiraki Sawa was born in 1977, considered an excellent figure of art video. He is now based in London City, UK. His surreal and metaphorical art videos express his bold artistic style and gained great attention from the international art community. His works are included in the public collections all over the world which include Japan, Belgium, Mexico, France, UK.

The exhibition runs until October 7 in VCCA, 72A Nguyen Trai Street, Hanoi. — VNS