German artworks on display in HCM City

The works of three German female artists, providing a contrast between traditional and modern styles, are displayed at an exhibition in HCM City on June 21.

Titled “From Germany to Vietnam-Art Dialog,” the event is organized by the office of the German Consulate General in the city.
Hertha Miessner, Susanne Wackerbauer and Traude Linhardt live and work in Munich.

While all three of them have distinct styles, they have frequently participated in joint projects and exhibitions, sharing an “artistic engagement to transform visual objects into abstract, serial and highly artificial compositions,” according to a press release from the event’s organizers.

It says Miessner uses elements of traditional art techniques “only in order to put them into new contextualization and combine them with modern technologies”.

The works of Wackerbauer have architectural and sculptural elements to the core. She “strives to give a halt to the time continuum by showing continuous change and continuous movements in the process of life.”

Linhardt is a sculptor who uses torso-shaped structures made with iron strings and covers them with different materials like beeswax, jute or Asian paper. The works reflecting archaic models “being confronted with modern recycling materials like plastic, film or audiotapes.”

The works of the three artists will be on display until June 28 at the HCM City Exhibition House, 92 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, from 9am-8pm.

L’Espace presents French film “Welcome”

 “Welcome” (or “Wele” in French) will be screened with Vietnamese subtitles at the French Cultural Centre, L’Espace, at 8pm on June 20.

The film tells the story of Simon, a life guard at a Calais swimming pool.  Suffering from marital problems, he risks everything to secretly help a young Kurd immigrant to swim across the English channel in order to get his wife’s attention.

Télérama, a weekly French magazine, comments that “the film is excruciatingly beautiful and it makes us tremble.”

Directed by Philippe Lioret, the film received 10 Cesar nominations in 2010 and won Best French Film at Les Lumieres 2010.

Duo to perform love songs

A concert of love songs entitled Giac Mong Dem He (Dream in Summer) featuring singer Ho Trung Dung and Viet Nam Idol Uyen Linh will be held as the part of the series Music on the Roof in Ha Noi.

They will perform Vietnamese and English songs including Besame Mucho and more recent hits by Adele and Alicia Keys.
The show will take place on Sunday night at the Rooftop, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Ha Noi.

FVH offers lecture on spring rolls

Friends of Viet Nam Heritage (FVH), an informal group of Ha Noi's residents from many countries working voluntarily to promote and preserve Vietnamese cultural and historical heritage, will host an English-speaking lecture on "spring rolls stuffed with oysters" on Saturday. The two-hour activity will start at 4pm at Cafe L'Amour, No 7 Block E, Van Phuc Street. Registration contact is Tra My at trmy.nguyen@gmail.com

Join charity tour in northeastern VN

Anyone interested in joining a charity tour to help local people in Northeastern Viet Nam as well as discover beautiful landscape of the region, are invited to take part in the activities hosted by the Young Professional Development Program (YPDP).

A replication of the STEPs4NGOs project in Viet Nam, which was funded by the Youth in Action Programme of the European Union, YPDP gathers many young Vietnamese and foreign volunteers who wish to share their time and talents for social activities.

The up-coming tours will be held on June 25-30, July 10-15 and July 25-30. During the tours, volunteers will live and work with ethnic minority communities in the Na Hang eco-tourism zone and the Ban Ba Waterfall in the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang. The attendees will help local people to raise their awareness about the environment and design a community project to develop sustainable household economies.

Registration contact: Nguyen Vu Khoa at info@youthnetworks.asia, or Dorota Kus'mierczyk at coordinator@youthnetworks.asia.

Carnival time at Saigon Saigon bar

Carnival Bash, a "reinventing" of South America's popular street festival, will blast off at the Caravelle Hotel's rooftop bar, Saigon Saigon, in HCM City next Thursday, June 28.

Opening at 9pm, the event will feature potent cocktails, spirited samba dancers in elaborate costumes and non-stop music by Cuban bands Luna Negra and Warapo.

There is no better opportunity for residents to let their hair down, wear the most lavish costumes and masks, and dance the night away.

Saigon Saigon regulars will have their usual treats as well, including free mojito specials for ladies every Tuesday and foot-tapping, energising live performances by the Warapo Band everyday.

Tribute to King of Pop at Park Hyatt

A tribute to music legend Michael Jackson on the third anniversary of his death will be held at the Martini Bar at Park Hyatt Saigon on June 25.

The Michael Jackson – inspired night will feature his eternal melodies and dancing from 8pm to 11pm at 2 Lam Son Square in District 1.

Free concert to mark World Music Day

HCM City's Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) will host a free concert to celebrate World Music Day on June 28.
The concert has been an annual event for more than a decade to celebrate the day, which falls today.

It usually features various genres like pop, rock, jazz, rap, electronic, and classical music.

Local performers like Viet Nam's Got Talent 2012 participant Vo Trong Phuc, singer Quang Vinh, and hip hop band BigSouth will join students from the Marguerite Duras French International School and Van Lang University for this year's concert from 6pm to 8pm.

IDECAF is at 28 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1.

Charity concert to fund training for women

A charity concert organised by Phong Cach – Harper's Bazaar magazine will be held on June 29 at the HCM City Opera House to raise money to support women in flood-affected areas in Viet Nam.

Bazaar – Women for Women 2012 will feature a concert and classical ballet Carmen besides an auction of unique costumes by famous Vietnamese designers and products from international luxury brands.

All profits will be donated to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women for funding training programmes for women and raise awareness of climate change in the central region.

Tickets cost VND1 million and 1.5 million, and can be bought at (08) 54046460.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre