Twenty-five artworks including paintings, videos and installations made by artists of Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) are on display at an exhibition which opened at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi on July 4.

Two artworks on display at "Salt of the Jungle" exhibition

The “Salt of the Jungle” exhibition, held by the museum, the Korea Foundation (KF) and CUC Gallery, was last organised in the RoK in 2017 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries (December 22, 1992-2017).

The title comes from a work by Vietnamese novelist Nguyen Huy Thiep. It is an epithet of a white flower, said to bloom every 30 years in the jungle. In the novel, an old man finds the flower when he tries to hunt a monkey. The novel is considered outstanding for its poignant metaphor of Vietnam after the Doi Moi (Renewal) period. It criticises humans’ ambivalence that they mistake the destruction of nature by humanity for prosperity. 

A straightforward look at ambivalence is also found in the works by the artists invited to the exhibition. They interpreted social changes in the process of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation via painting, drawing, video and installation works. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Kim Do-hyun pledged to boost cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Within the framework of the event, Vietnamese and Korean artists will have a talk with visitors about their works and the two countries’ fine arts on July 5.

The exhibition will remain open to visitors until July 25.-VNA