Hoi An ancient houses host art exhibitions

Two exhibitions on souvenirs, paintings and statues are on at two ancient houses in the World Heritage-listed town of Hoi An in Quang Nam Province on the central coast.

The ancient house at 46 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is showcasing 29 works by 21 artists who entered the final round of a contest to create souvenir products for Hoi An in 2011.

Visitors to the exhibition will vote for their favorite artworks made from environmentally friendly materials including bamboo and wood and some from silver and bronze. A prize presentation ceremony for the contest winners is slated for December 4 to coincide with the 12th anniversary of Hoi An being proclaimed the World Cultural Heritage in 1999.

The second exhibition at the ancient house at 39 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street features over 100 works on contemporary art, pearl statues, carpets and precious stones by artists Le Dinh Quy, Do Quoc Vi and Pham Huynh. The exhibition runs until February 18.

Second street art festival in Hanoi, HCMC

The second Street Art Festival will take place at Ly Thai To Flower Garden in downtown Hanoi on November 29, and in Ho Chi Minh City on November 30.

The festival will feature rock and hip-hop music, as well as entertaining plays by Danish artists and circus performances by Vietnamese artists.

There will be two stages designed for audiences to watch the performances and also engage with them.

The event is one of the major activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Denmark.

Local researcher receives rare royal costumes

Researcher Trinh Bach, based in Hanoi, said he has recently received four pieces of 18th century royal costumes from a private collection in America.

Considered extremely rare and highly valuable to Vietnam’s clothing history, the garments belong to the Trinh Lords, who once ruled the country’s northern region.

The Trịnh Lords, who reigned from 1545 to 1787, were a series of rulers who held real power over their area, while leaving a number of Later Le Dynasty figureheads as kings.

The garments, which were all used as formal costumes for special royal ceremonies, feature designs distinct to the Trinh Lords’ clothing, such as dark colors and royal patterns.

They belong to a private collection owned by the Trinh Family Foundation in the U.S. state of Ohio, where they were transferred after the Trinh Lords’ descendants brought them to France in the 1950s.

Trinh Bach, a Vietnamese- American artist and costume researcher, is well known for his efforts to revive royal costumes of the 19th century Hue-based Nguyen Dynasty.

“Twilight” star addresses Vietnamese fans

Young Hollywood actress Kristen Stewart recently addressed her Vietnamese fans in an interview with Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy about her most recent vampire film: “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1”.

As a representative for Megastar Cineplex, a local distributor which obtained the rights to screen Summit Entertainment’s multi-million dollar franchise “Twilight”, Thuy was invited to the film’s international release in Los Angeles earlier this week.

The beauty queen, who is fluent in English, conducted three interviews with the main cast members of the film including Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattison, and Taylor Lautner; who portray a dramatic love triangle in the film that reaped US$140 million when it premiered in the US, according to a Reuters report.

Kristen, who plays Bella, the “human” girl who is to marry her vampire boyfriend Edward, played by Pattison, gave an interesting interview detailing her feelings regarding the wedding scene, which has been eagerly awaited by fans across the world.

She did not forget to greet her fans in Vietnam, adding that she hoped they would all like the film.

However, local film buffs will have to wait until December 2, instead of the film’s international release date of November 18, to see “Breaking Dawn”.

While tickets for Vietnam’s special premier screening at 11:45pm on November 17 sold out long ago, Megastar said last week that Summit Entertainment informed them of the delay right before the release date.

Vietnam is not the only country who had to re-schedule its premier later than North American markets, the distributor said, although it did not know why Summit Entertainment had made such a decision.

The much-anticipated sequel, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Bill Condon, has evoked excitement in the fan community around the world, with pictures released during the making of the movie capturing romantic scenes of the young couple’s wedding and honeymoon trip.

Saigon men indulge passion for old cameras

Although not professional photographers, two middle-aged men in Ho Chi Minh City still have an unsurpassed passion for old cameras as their collections amount to 2,000 cameras of different types.

Nguyen Hoang Anh has spent a lot of money and efforts searching for SLR cameras.

“I have searched for the type of camera in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and other places in the country. I even ask my friends to buy it for me abroad. I have a special interest in its mechanical operation,” Anh said.

“As everyone get used to digital cameras, they forgot SLR cameras. From the very beginning when I began my collection, I just wanted to collect SLR cameras,” Anh added.

The SLR camera was created 5 centuries ago. It is called single-lens reflex camera because it operates on a mechanical system. It captures images by the effect of light and chemicals on the film roll.

Anh has collected around 300 old cameras, including many SLR cameras.

For Nguyen Ngoc Long, who is among a few SLR camera collectors, old cameras never stop fascinating him.

After 15 years, there are over 1,500 cameras of all makes and models in his collection, including Nikon, Canon, Leica, Hasselblad, Classic, and Olympus.

Sometimes he finds his favorite camera in a store but cannot buy it. This keeps him awake all night, worrying that someone may buy it before him.

When he does not have enough money, he tries to convince the camera owner to allow him to pay half of the price in advance and promises to pay the remaining at a later time. Once he even exchanged his expensive hand-phone for an Olympus, one of his favorite camera brands.

“This is called “collecting”! When you are in love with cameras, you hardly get enough of it. As a result, collectors may have bitter-sweet feelings just over a camera,” he said.

Unlike digital cameras, SLR cameras with classic features have become attractive, especially to passionate photographers who love to get back the thrilling feelings of holding a SLR camera in their hands.

Even with the evolution of technology and popularity of digital cameras, SLR cameras, with exquisite features, still retain a kind of primitive, attractive beauty to collectors whose hunger for old cameras from all over the world is never to be satisfied, they concluded.

International artists present black humor in Hanoi  

The Hanoi International Theatre Society (HITS) will return to stage with Winter One Acts on December 3 and 10 at the Chuong Vang (Golden Bell) Theater in the capital city.

According to HITS, five plays – short, surreal and very funny – will show that "the words we choose and how we use them can reveal much more than intended!"

In addition, organizers are offering the audience a chance to win a prize by booking tickets in advance.

The prizes are: ten free cocktails at Hanoi Social Club’s tree-filled rooftop Garden Bar and free lunches and coffees at Joma Café on Westlake.

Advance tickets costing VND120,000 can be booked at the Joma (Westlake), Bookworm, Hanoi Social Club and Puku Cafe. Door tickets cost VND150,000.         

Chuong Vang Theater is located on 72 Hang Bac, Old Quarter, Hanoi.

Everyday art goes on show at the Emergency Room  

An exhibition called Emergency Room, featuring works by Vietnamese and Danish artists, is being held at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts in Hanoi until Dec 8.

According to a press release from the Danish Embassy, Emergency Room, which opened on Nov 24, is an ever changing exhibition room which makes it possible for participating artists to "respond to daily happenings and prevent delayed comments on yesterday’s world."

The concept of Emergency Room was developed by Danish Artist Thierry Geoffroy. It has been held in several cities in the world including New York and Paris.

Fourteen Vietnamese and four Danish artists are participating in the Emergency Room in Hanoi.

The artists are free to mix different media for their creations.For instance, their work can be a multimedia project including both painting and sculpture. Each day at 11.00 am the artists must  hand in a new piece of artwork, which means the exhibition presents new art pieces daily.

Entrance to the Emergency Room is free.

The Vietnam University of Fine Arts is located on 42 Yet Kieu Street, Hanoi.

Viet-kieu artists remember local road traffic victims  

Vietnamese-Australian Singer Thanh Bui and Vietnamese-American actress Kathy Uyen (second and third places) discuss road safety with local students.

Actress Kathy Uyen and singer Thanh Bui paid a visit to Truong Van Thanh Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City in honor of World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims on November 20.

Uyen and Bui distributed informational packets about Vietnam’s frightening road situations to school representatives before joining the students in their classrooms.

Approximately 50 students were split up into five groups to encourage interactive and candid group discussions about how to reduce the number of road traffic accidents.   

The group with the best idea to combat road traffic casualties was awarded a prize.

The event, organized by Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP Foundation), aims to enhance student’s awareness of road safety issues through discussions; remembrance activities including prayers and releasing birds;and through interviews with artists, students and local authorities.

The AIP Foundation is a US-based nonprofit organization that uses public-private partnerships, public awareness education, and school-based programs to reduce the rate of traffic injuries and fatalities in developing countries.

“With events taking place around the world for this Remembrance Day, I am thrilled to continue being a Goodwill Ambassador for AIP Foundation’s meaningful activities,” Bui said.

“As a road safety Goodwill Ambassador, I strongly believe that public awareness can effectively minimize the loss and pain that families such as these ones are experiencing,” Uyen added.

Vietnam is one of more than 100 countries worldwide dedicating November 20 to those who have died and have been severely injured by road traffic accidents.

World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims was created in 1993 by the organization Road Peace. The day was endorsed by the United Nations in 2005. It is now observed annually around the world on the third Sunday of every November.

HCMC Photography Association celebrates 30th anniversary  

The Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association celebrated its 30th anniversary on November 27.  

The Photography Association has currently 400 members, 15 clubs and 22 unions.

Mrs. Than Thi Thu, Head of the Department of Propaganda and Training of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, offered certificates of merit to five veteran photographers on the occasion.

She hoped that the municipal photography sector will take more initiatives and make outstanding contributions to the development of the country.

In related news, the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) has announced the 2011 National Best Photography Award.

Accordingly, photographer Thuy Mai of the Mekong delta province of Ca Mau won a cup from VAPA and the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations for his picture titled “Angels”.

Organizers also awarded 10 A prizes, 13 B prizes and 18 C prizes.

Award-winning photos go on display

Two hundred and fifty of the best photos at the 6th International Artistic Photo Contest in Viet Nam are now on display at the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi.

The contest was launched in May by the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA), under the sponsorship of the International Federation of Photographic Art.

There were 10,500 entries by 1,600 photographers from 55 countries including Germany, Hungary, Myanmar, Turkey, Slovenia, France, Australia, Spain, the US and the UK – a record number for a photo competition in Viet Nam,

The competition was sponsored by NIKON.

"The entries were varied in topics, which reflects fairly well the life in many countries in the world," said Vu Quoc Khanh, chairman of VAPA and head of the judging board. "As the host, Viet Nam has the most number of entries and winners, which means that the contest has drawn most interest from Vietnamese photographers."

The exhibition will run until December 30.

New star shines in fan vote

Bui Anh Tuan of Ha Noi won the annual Ngoi Sao Tieng Hat Truyen Hinh (TV Singing Star) contest organised by HCM City Television (HTV) with 39.96 per cent of the audience's votes.

With a well-trained voice and confident and emotional performances, the 20-year-old HCM City Conservatory student defeated 12 finalists – six men and six women – in the month-long final to get the first prize.

At the grand finale held in the Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium on Friday, Tuan performed composer An Hieu's song and Minh Vuong's duet with singer Ngoc Anh.

Bui Thi Bich, singer with the Hai Phong Song and Dance Troupe, was the runner-up. She impressed with her professional performance of a song by Manh Tri, and a duet with singer Hoang Trung Dung.

Duong Hoang Kim Chi of Dong Nai Province finished in third place with 27.87 per cent of the vote. She sang a solo by Vi Thuy Linh and Ngoc Dai, and a duet by Duc Tri with singer Hoang Bach.

The winner received VND40 million (nearly US$2,000) in prize money, while the first and second runners-up got VND30 million and VND22 million, respectively.

In the final, contestants competed in different style of music, including pop, contemporary folk, patriotic music, and songs in praise of the country.

This year's contest attracted 1,500 participants aged 16 to 25 to the preliminary rounds held in Ha Noi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Buon Ma Thuot, Nha Trang, Can Tho, and HCM City in October. —

Traditional ethnic fashion on show at Son Tay fest  
 
Over 200 models representing 54 ethnic groups from around the country will join a fashion show tonight at the Viet Nam Culture Tourism Village in the town of Son Tay, 35km west of downtown Ha Noi.
The show, part of the first Ethnic Costumes Festival that began on Saturday, will feature 200 sets of daily and festival costumes.

Composer An Thuyen, chairman of the festival judging panel, was unable to conceal his enthusiasm.

"I'm so happy and lucky to see the first-ever gathering of nearly all ethnic costumes," Thuyen said. "Although I have travelled to many remote villages and composed a lot of music inspired by the lives of ethnic people, I am stunned by and proud of the diversity of cultural colours in Viet Nam."

"We have prepared for the event for nearly a year now," said Doan Thi Huong from the local management board.

"It aims to celebrate the costumes of ethnic groups in Viet Nam, which ethnic groups wear to gather at their villages to show off their cultural identities."

Ly Thi Huyen, from the Dao group in the northern province of Tuyen Quang – one of the youngest models performing in the show – introduced her costume, with coins attached to both sides of the shirt and a silver belt.

"This is a costume made and handed down by my grandmother," Huyen said. "I'm very happy to wear it today to show it off to the audience."

Researcher Hoang Nam from the Ha Noi College of Culture, said: "This is a chance for ethnic groups to exchange and understand one another's cultures."

The programme will be broadcast live on Viet Nam Television's VTV2 and VTV5 as well as Voice of Viet Nam radio VOV4 channel.

The Viet Nam Culture Tourism Village has been open for over a year with a mission to preserve and expose the traditional cultural heritage of the nation's ethnic groups. The village offers tourist accommodation, entertainment and a site for culture and sporting events.

The village displays models of the typical houses of many ethnic groups, representatives of one of which is invited to stay for about two weeks each month to offer tourists a closer look at their culture.

During the time the ethnic groups stay at the village and present such activities as a gong performance, buffalo-sacrificial ceremony, rice-planting, weaving, fishing and wedding ceremonies.