Artist creates ‘geometric game' with colorful prints

An exhibition of large, colourful graphic art prints by Benjamin Badock, considered one of the most important young artists in Germany, will run until November 2 at the Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc.

The collection, That's New - What's Next, comprises 30 paintings by Badock. He made them by using ready-made printing elements, similar to a child's construction kit, and developing one new image after another from basic geometric shapes.

Badock said he wanted visitors to use their imaginations while observing his art.

"For example, I named this set A Rainy Day at the Sea," he said, pointing at a set of four printed paintings. "You can see there are parts of a kiosk offering ice cream at the beach. But the audience may have its own interpretation. Someone told me earlier today he imagined a car, and someone else said it's a bus."

Badock received the third artist's residency grant from the Cultural Foundation of Saxony for Viet Nam. In December, he will be awarded the prestigious German Sprengel Award for his artistic oeuvre.

A German-language student, Dinh Trong Nghia, said Badock's collection creates complicated visual effects, though it looks simple at first glance.

"It is like a unique geometric arrangement game using striking blocks," he said.

During his two-month stay in Viet Nam, Badock said he will try to experience local life to get inspiration for future creations. He'll also explore two of his main interests, traditional papermaking and woodcutting, which have a long history in both Germany and Viet Nam.

Local painters Nguyen Nghia Phuong and Pham Khac Quang will join Badock for a talk about art on October 16 at the institute. He will also spend time with local artists through the institute, and conduct workshops at art academies in Ha Noi and Hue.

Badock was born in Karl-Marx-Stadt, now Chemnitz, in 1974. He studied art at the Estonian Academy of Arts and the Braunschweig Academy of Fine Arts from 2001 to 2008.

Construction of Buddhist temple begins in Hau Giang

The construction of the New Truc Lam Buddha Temple began in Hau Giang province on October 12.

The temple will have 250 monks and nuns and the head office of Hau Giang's Buddha Sangha of Vietnam.

It will be conveniently located at the Vinh Tuong crossroads for the local people to fulfil their spiritual and religious needs.

The construction of the 210-billion VND (10-million USD) temple, set to be completed by 2015, is being funded by Lien Viet Post Bank and carried out by the Him Lam Construction Company.

Vietnamese-Japanese cultural exchange in Osaka

Business and community leaders from Hoi An City are heading to Osaka, Japan to participate in the 12th Hoi An-Japan cultural exchange from October 18-19 as part of the 41st Sakai Festival.

During the two-day event, diverse cultural and folklore games and activities are planned including a parade and traditional art performance aiming to introduce characteristic cultural values of Hoi An to Japanese and international friends.

The cultural exchange aims to foster cooperative relations between the two countries and celebrate 15 years of UNESCO’s recognition of Hoi An ancient town as the World Culture Heritage.

Design contest winners announced

Winners of a televised brand design competition, hosted by the Ha Noi Radio and Television, were announced yesterday.

The judges did not award the VND100-million (US$4,700) first prize to anyone as they could not find a design worthy of it. So they awarded two VND70-million ($3,000) second prizes, one each to graphic designer Le Quy Hai and the duo Nguyen Manh Tuan and Ngo Thanh Long.

The VND50-million ($2,400) third prize went to designer Tran Hoai Duc.

Speaking about the unexpected decision, the chief judge and renowned designer Peter Anderson said: "At one point I wondered why the contestants did not have much experience in television logo design. Then I asked myself how often a television invites contestants to participate in such a brand design competition."

The London-based graphic artist will continue to work with three designers to help them develop their designs "till they can translate completely the language of TV".

The Ha Noi Radio and Television launched the competition in March with the aim of selecting the best design as its new brand identity. The new brand package is expected to represent the 60-year-long history of the broadcasting firm and its values.

The competition received nearly 2,000 entries.

Hoi An troupe to perform in Japan

This central city's art troupe will take part in the 12th annual Hoi An-Japan Cultural Festival in Osaka, Japan, on Saturday and Sunday.

City authorities said a group of 35 members, including officials, dancers, folk performers and craft artisans, will perform onstage at the festival, to be held at Xavier Park, Osyoji Street, Portus Garden and Family Garden in Sakai.

This will be the first time the festival to take place in Japan. The troupe will set up traditional art performances and community activities, including a "Try to Make a Lantern" presentation, a parade, Hoi An bingo game, photo exhibits of Hoi An, Now and Then, Sakura Flowers in Hoi An and a promotion for potential Japanese tourists.

The festival promotes a cultural exchange between Hoi An and Japan, which has had a long historic trading link with the city. The Japanese community in Hoi An City will also take part in the festival.

Pianist to perform Wagner, Chopin

Freelance pianist Boris Schonleber of Berlin will perform the music of Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss and Frederic Chopin in a solo concert at the Goethe Insititute on Saturday.

Schonleber will also perform with mezzo-soprano Katharina Padrok in a concert at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music on October 25. A similar concert will be organised at the Goethe Institute on October 26. Padrok and Schonleber performed for the first time in Viet Nam last year.

In their concert, Schonleber and Padrok will bring the audience on a journey through time with songs of the Age of Romanticism.

They will also hold a master class for students of the National Academy of Music from October 20 to 24.

Schonleber is working as a piano soloist, vocal accompanist and chamber musician in Berlin as well as other parts of Germany. Padrok is working as a vocal tutor at the conservatory in Frankfurt and the University of Arts and Music in Budingen.

Sculptor to dissect her art

Colombian sculptor Maria Fernanda Plata will talk about architecture influencing her art at San Art in HCM City on Thursday.

She will explain the process of her art and why she chooses to use certain materials and turns non-structured materials such as paper and sand into sculptures.

She will also talk about why the method of working is more important than technique, the concepts surrounding her work, and what role her city – Bogota – plays in her work.

Some of her recent exhibitions include Imperfect Idler or When Things Disappear, Colombia, 2014 and Pender, Colombia, 2013.

Ha Noi hosts peace cultural festival

The People’s Committee of Ha Noi hosted a peace cultural festival marking the 60th anniversary of Ha Noi’s Liberation Day (10th October, 1954 and 10th October, 2014) and 15th anniversary since Hanoi being recognized as the city for Peace by UNESCO, at Ly Thai To flower park on October 12.

The incense offering ceremony at the statue of King Ly Cong Uan is the first activity to open the festival. King Ly Cong Uan who established the former capital Thang Long (known as Ha Noi capital nowadays).

On behalf of the capital’s authority and people, Chairman of Ha Noi People’s Committee Nguyen The Thao reviewed the capital outstanding achievements over past 15 years.

For any historical periods, peace brings not only to a deep humanity value but also is a basic condition for the country’s sustainable development, Chairman Nguyen The Thao stressed.

Over past 15 years, the citizen always has proud of the title "City for peace" and has not stopped striving to get great comprehensive achievements in the various fields of politics, economy, culture and society, defense and security, integration and development.

At the ceremony, the Ha Noi People’s Committee awarded the title of “the capital's honorary citizens” for 12 foreigners, who had contributions to the capital’s development over the various fields.

15 years ago, Ha Noi was received the title of “City for peace” by UNESCO at Bolivia’s La Paz city on 16th July, 1999 that is considered as a reorganization of total international community for its social economic, educational and cultural achievements.

Until now, Ha Noi has remained the sole city in Asia-Pacific region to receive the “City for Peace” awards by UNESCO and become the large center of politics, economy, culture, science and technology of the country.

Many activities also took place during the festival including 1, 500 representatives from ministries, departments and diplomacy agencies, foreigners and citizens participated in marathon competition. Meanwhile, more than 300 staffs of Department of Foreign Affair and Trade took part in racing competition around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Enjoying lotus tea

For a long time, people in villages around the West Lake in Quang Ba, Tay Ho and Nghi Tam have been well known for making lotus tea. It is the scented tea that forms the delicate art of enjoying lotus tea of Hanoians.

Lotus in this area of Ha Noi is a rare variety and originated from Tri Pond near Tay Ho Temple. It is called “Bach diep” with large petals and a pleasant scent. Since the feudal regime, the locals learned how to scent tea with lotus which was a valuable offering to kings and mandarins. Today, lotus tea is a specialty of Ha Noi for guests.

The process of making lotus tea is very complicated. Previously, people used to row a small boat out across lotus ponds to leave a pinch of dried tea inside each lotus flower that had just begun to pen before dawn during sunny days. They will pick the lotus flowers to retrieve their tea the next morning after the tea absorbs the lotus’s scent.

However, there are many methods in making lotus tea and the most popular is mixing tea with lotus anthers. The locals pick lotus flowers and then collect the anthers for mixing with the tea. A layer of tea and a thin layer of lotus anthers are staggered and then wrapped in moisture-proof paper in order to keep both the flavors of the tea and the lotus anthers. After three days, the mixture of tea and lotus anthers is separated and the process is repeated seven times. A batch of lotus tea is completed after 20 days.

The way of enjoying lotus tea is sophisticated. Only by sitting in front of a lotus tea service, you can feel the uniqueness of this art by means of a complicated preparation, invitation skill and table setting.

Hanoians consider drinking lotus tea a very frugal, pure and noble pleasure and a delicate art. There, on summer days lutus ponds next to the West lake become a meeting place for a lot of people to contemplate the pure beauty of lotus plants and enjoy a cup of lotus tea and the fragrance of the lotus in the cool wind from the West Lake.

VNS/Nhandan/SGGP/VNA