An Open Studio by Hà Đào

Open Studio: 11 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sun 20 Apr – 19 May 2024
Manzi Exhibition Space, 02 Ngõ Hàng Bún, Hà Nội

Manzi is pleased to present an open studio by Ha Dao, a photographer, writer and programme coordinator at Matca.

The open studio session introduces works grounded in real tragedies learned through the press and social media. As media sensations, both stories feature a female outlaw as the protagonist. Amassing two uncommon fates, this open studio session deals with romance, heartbreak and crime in Vietnam’s recent past. Entrenched are the artist’s ongoing inquiries into the creative and ethical implications of the camera, or more specifically, of appropriating stories not of one’s own.

Juggling with a variety of visual information (photographs, audio recordings, video footage, found and reconstructed materials), in this open studio, Hà proposes a narrative context in which the pure function endowed in the photography almost proved futile: the large volume of visual statement is exposed, the voice of knowledge is clear and directly perceived without any filter, vivid details constitute the very raw material of ‘that-has-been’ yet at the same time can very well say nothing at all as what represented can be immediately yielded to our perception but extremely elusive once one aims to process them to grasp the whole story.

Exhibition “Sparkles”

09 am – 04:30 pm, Tues – Sun, 14 – 28 Apr 2024
QS Art Space, 189B/3 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền ward, Thủ Đức, HCMC

To enhance the spectrum of artistic endeavors and broaden its cultural offerings, Quang San Art Museum is pleased to announce our collaboration with Noirfoto to present a captivating photography exhibition to the public. Marking a significant milestone, this inaugural black-and-white exhibition, titled “Sparkles”, is set to enrich the museum’s repertoire of fine arts events.

A captivating black and white photography exhibition, meticulously organized by Noirfoto as part of the esteemed Noirfotocontest2023, offers an exquisite selection of the top 25 works from over a thousand entries. These compelling pieces will grace the walls of the QS Art Space within the Quang San Art Museum, marking a significant collaboration between Noirfoto and the museum. Recognising the profound artistry inherent in photography, the Quang San Art Museum has chosen to co-organize this exhibition, underscoring its dedication to elevating the medium within the public consciousness.

Now in its fifth year, the Noirfotocontest continues to serve as a cornerstone for talented photographers of all ages and nationalities, providing a platform for them to share their stories, ideas, and emotions through the evocative lens of black-and-white film photography. This annual event not only nurtures individual growth but also fosters connections within the photography community, enriching the collective appreciation for the art form.

Exhibition “I Love Sushi

Exhibition: 09 am – 06 pm, 12 Apr – 05 May 2024
The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam
27 Quang Trung, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

In 2013, UNESCO inscribed washoku —Japanese cuisine—on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, and sushi is the archetypal example. Sushi is a refined and healthy food that looks good and tastes good, and it has already become a familiar item on menus worldwide. From its roots in Southeast Asia or Southern China, sushi reached Japan over a thousand years ago. Since then, sushi has radically changed, taking advantage of the abundance of natural resources found in and around the islands of Japan, of the application of knowledge and ideas to sushi, and of the never-ending Japanese drive to try good-tasting foods at the earliest opportunity. The type of sushi that first comes to mind for most people today is nigiri-zushi , which emerged about two hundred years ago in Edo , the city that we now know as Tokyo.

Sushi has now spread outside Japan’s borders and is enjoyed around the world. But although it has become a familiar food, many people have only discovered a few of its attractions. This exhibition aims to provide an in-depth visual guide to the appeal of sushi It includes the chance to learn about how Japan took in sushi in its original form, how it modified sushi to suit the natural environment, culture, and lifestyles of individual areas. It also introduces today’s vibrant sushi culture, and it encourages us to think about the potential of sushi as a food for the future in the light of contemporary food issues. The exhibition includes a simulation of a visit to a sushi shop in Japan. People who know little about sushi will greatly enjoy the exhibition, and keen fans of sushi will find it fascinating too. And we very much hope that through sushi, the exhibition will also communicate something about the history and customs of Japan.

Fading Clouds of Recollection

Exhibition: 09:30 am – 06 pm, 12 Apr – 19 May 2024
Work Room Four, 31 Alley 67 Tô Ngọc Vân, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội

‘Fading Clouds of Recollection’ is a mesmerising collection of contemporary relics created from dissipating fragments of historical recollections. Tracing the identity of the past through treasured memories and objects collected by the artist; treasures, faces, historical remnants, antiques, and anonymous artefacts which are no longer fully intact.

Tuyền assembles these remembrances and objects into new compositions broken and clouded – suspended in time – creating artworks which venerate the ancient through modern conception.

Tuyền revives objects and their memories by creating composite reconstructions of impressions of artefacts from the past. Once the reconstructed object has been created in painstaking detail, Tuyền again destroys it, shattering into pieces only to reassemble and encase it in epoxy resin. A perfect incomplete memory of something that is an imagined version of what once existed. Floating in permanent interruption within the artist’s own reality the valuable effects – these people and places – are within layers of space that appear uncertain, chaotic and complex with an ambiguous illusory quality.

The process is a painstaking journey of careful creation and destruction, leaving behind work that is both complete and yet purposefully unresolved. Tuyền creates a reality and then systematically distorts and destroys it to make a new actuality.

He creates new buried realms of memories still smouldering alive, unable to fade away. Through the slow and laboured process of each artwork creation he connects himself with the past and slows the intensity of the pace of contemporary life. Tuyền feels a deep intangible connection between his mind and the core values of ancient and profound traditional culture these perfect new relics seek to honour this connection and allows us to see them as if through is mind’s eye, shrouded underneath shapeless multicoloured layers of clouds, displayed in beautiful majesty and preserved in incredible imperfect splendour.

Born in 1982 in Thái Bình, a North eastern province in the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam, Lưu Tuyền is currently living and working in Hanoi. He graduated from the Hanoi University of Industrial Arts and is now a member of the Vietnamese Fine Arts Association. Already and exceptionally accomplished and celebrated painter Tuyền discovered epoxy resin in 2013 while working on sculptures, most of Tuyền’s recent work combines painting with resin finishing techniques now. One of Vietnam’s most bold and distinctive contemporary artists, Tuyền continues to push boundaries beyond the ordinary with his unique style and perspective.

Notable exhibitions include: “Perfect heaven” – Six senses space, Hà Nội, Việt Nam – 2023, “Spring Paintings & Sculptures” – Hanoi Studio Gallery, Hanoi – 2019; “Perfect Reality” – Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi – 2018; “Vietnam Spring” – Berlin, Germany – 2018; “Realism+” – Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum, HCMC – 2018; “Annual China Kunming International Oil Painting Exhibition” – Yunnan Art Museum, China – 2017; “Today” – Hanoi Creative City, Hanoi – 2016; “Asia Silklink International Art Exhibition (ASIAE)” – Guangzhou, China – 2016.

Pleiku City, Gia Lai Province- Outdoor display of antique artifacts

Until the end of 2024,
Pleiku City

An outdoor exhibition entitled “Tay Nguyen – Gia Lai Paradise” displaying antique artifacts of local ethnic people.

Highlights of the exhibition are a white elephant bone chair dating back 700 years and a collection of elephant hunting tools dating back more than 100 years of the M'Nong ethnic group.

On display are thousands of antique artifacts of collector Dang Minh Tam, including musical instruments, hunting and weaving tools, ceremonial objects, jewelry items and other items in the life of ethnic groups in the five Central Highlands provinces.

Navigating with Nature

10 am – 07 pm, 04 – 28 Apr 2024
NGÃ Art Space, 20 Hai Bà Trưng, Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

We live in the age of high technology and synthetics, and humanity persists in crafting intricate replicas of nature, molding them to suit our whims. How can we, in such a contemporary and fast-paced changing climate, find a balance between Nature and the artificials? And is it possible to replace everything with technologies and AI?

Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once observed, “Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” As society becomes increasingly digitized, it is imperative to recognize that nature is not merely a passive backdrop but a vibrant tapestry teeming with signs and symbols, waiting to be decoded. In our quest for innovation and progress, we often overlook the subtle nuances and intricate patterns that nature provides—a repository of wisdom waiting to be explored. And this is the essence that algorithms can chase, but never truly capture.

Selected artworks from the participating artists all carry the leitmotif of naturalness, weaving a tapestry of reverence for the raw beauty and unbridled vitality of the natural world. While each artist employs a unique style and approach, their collective admiration for Nature in its purest essence unites them in a common pursuit, and artists try not only to observe but also to unravel all the intricacies of the universe and human beings.

A common thread binds the theme of the exhibition — be it “The Creation” by Aigana Gali, “The Observation” by Laurent Lainé, “The Admiration” by Sarah Ann Weber, “The Adaptation” by Jessica Taylor Bellamy, “The Interaction” by Lương Văn Việt, “The Integration” by Bách Vũ (Mark Vu) or the “The Liberation” by DRIFT — each offering a unique perspective on the profound interplay between humanity and the natural world.

Humming at the End of a Dream

Exhibition: 06 Apr – 09 Jun 2024
Sàn Art, Units B0616 & B0617, 6th Floor, Block B Office, Millennium Masteri, Ward 6, District 4, HCMC (enter via Nguyen Huu Hao street)

‘Humming at the End of a Dream’, a solo exhibition by Nghia Dang, investigates the artist’s continuing interest in the construction of the psyche and the mind’s capacity for image-making. The title alludes to the elusive and indescribable feeling left behind upon awakening from these states of sleep. The vague recollections, the uncertainty of sensations and feelings, the remaining traces of these symbols as we regain consciousness. A feeling of being close to unmasking these secrets but never quite putting our finger on it with certainty, an experience akin to hearing someone humming a melody — could this be …? We may never know but we are getting closer. Nghia Dang’s artistic journey has also been a consistent evolution of these questions, the writings of the psychoanalysts Lacan and Jung creating a framework for his practice. The artist does not simply create in an impulsive or cathartic manner but, by considering himself as the primary subject of his art, is able to understand and dissect the connections behind his mind and work.

Exhibition “The Gentle Touch”

Exhibition: 09 am – 08 pm, 06 Apr – 05 May 2024
Annam Gallery, 371/4 Hai Bà Trưng, Võ Thị Sáu ward, D.3, HCMC

Annam Gallery and Curator Dao Mai Trang invite the audience to explore the exhibition “The Gentle Touch” by artist Vu Trung, an exhibition showcases more than 20 artworks, including compositions on lacquer material.

At first glance, Vu Trung’s lacquer art may not reveal significant, immediate changes. Perhaps it’s about changes in the framework of the form, from square to round, or angular. These changes also stem from within him, with a desire to challenge the ability to traverse different spatial dimensions created by illusions stemming from the circular form of the canvas, like extending further and deeper into infinity, contrasting with the angular, finite edges of rectangular or square shapes, evoking a sense of limitation. From here, the rhythm of color and strokes is also transformed, becoming more fluid and expansive.

Vu Trung’s lacquer art features various shades of blue and green, especially blue. This color sometimes serves as a background, sometimes as an embellishment on the shimmering gray surface. Using the traditional lacquer technique, Vu Trung disrupts all forms and shapes, allowing for a natural blending between the lacquer and overlapping layers of color, gradually revealed through the strokes, creating spaces beyond any known data. Thus, scenic backgrounds evoke moments in nature somewhere, appearing before the viewer’s eyes—whether it be forests, shadows of water, patches of grass and wildflowers, or perhaps just a blend of real and dreamlike illusions that feel both familiar and strange. Upon closer inspection of each color point, viewers will easily discern behind them other hues, suggesting different outlines, encouraging the imagination of each individual to unveil new uncharted territories.

Without explanation or narration, each lacquer painting by Vu Trung is like a fragment from a surreal reality that the artist wishes to portray, containing aesthetic energy waiting for viewers to receive, resonate, and co-create other fantasies.

Her Story: Women in Art

31 Mar – 30 Apr 2024
MANI Foundation, 46 Tây Hồ, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội

MANI Foundation wants to dedicate this entire March to our women through their stories written by the brushstrokes and colors via the Her Story: Women in Art.

The exhibition serves as intimate dialogues between Mani and the female artists of different generation, different nationalities, allowing us to immerse ourselves in each individual’s perspective, seeing their lives for once, in their own ways. It could be Vietnamese landscapes depicted through traditional Vietnamese lacquer paintings, or it could be Vietnam through the eyes of a foreigner enamored by the purity of this land. It could also be a poet weaving the silk threads of their life, or a lawyer using their pen to depict some intense inner emotions. It could simply be the image of a little daughter, through the gentle, loving eyes of a new mother, a wife…

Mani feels honored and deeply compassionate to listen to the stories of these artists, and wants to, again, reflect on their stories to you. Please come with us to visit, sit back, and immerse yourself in the multidimensional world of Her Story: Women in Art.

A Necromancy Paintings

Exhibition: Until June 29, 09 am – 06 pm, Mon – Sat, 
22 Gallery, 22 Pham Cu Luong, Ward 2, Tan Binh District,

The solo exhibition “Hoạ Chiêu Hồn – Necromancy Painting” by artist Pham Tran Viet Nam embarks on an artistic journey that vividly portrays the human experience in all its complexities: trapped, yearning, or tormented souls of both the living and the departed.

Drawing inspiration from war, local historical narratives, global dilemmas, and haunted memories, Pham Tran Viet Nam creates “Họa Chiêu Hồn.” The collection comprises 17 artworks that transcend the boundaries of reality and illusion, reflecting the tumultuous emotions, precariousness, and agony of the contemporary world.

Pham Tran Viet Nam’s works, created between 2017 and 2024, are currently on display at 22 Gallery. This presentation not only introduces a fresh viewpoint on art to its audience but also acts as a reflection on life, an effort to heal and soothe restless souls.

In Stranger Lands: Cacaos Journeys to Asia

Exhibition: 15 Mar – July 2024
10 am – 04 pm, Wed, Fri & Sat
EMASI Nam Long
147 Street No. 8, Nam Long Residential Area, District 7, HCMC
10 am – 04 pm, Tues, Thurs & Sat
EMASI Vạn Phúc
2 Street No. 5, Vạn Phúc Residential Area, Thủ Đức, HCMC

Nguyen Art Foundation (NAF) proudly invites you to the opening reception of In Stranger Lands: Cocoa’s Journeys To Asia, a two-part exhibition curated by Caroline Ha Thuc, featuring 17 newly commissioned artworks from established artists working across Asia, including Ravi Agarwal (India), Timoteus Anggawan Kusno (Indonesia), Antariksa (Indonesia), Agung Firmanto Budiharto (Indonesia), Bui Cong Khanh (Vietnam), Cian Dayrit (Philippines), Cyril Delettre (Hong Kong), Veronica Emery (Hong Kong), Jiandyn Collective (Thailand), Jason Lim (Singapore), Pan Lu and Bo Wang (Hong Kong/Netherlands), Arin Rungjang (Thailand), Erika Tan (Singapore), Rodel Tapaya (Philippines), Ting Chaong-Wen (Taiwan), Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore) and Zheng Mahler (Hong Kong). The exhibition will take place simultaneously across the campuses of EMASI Nam Long (District 7) and EMASI Van Phuc (Thu Duc City) from March to July 2024.

For many of us, the taste of chocolate evokes childhood memories, sweetness, and the warmth of family. In Asia, chocolates were often brought back from visits to faraway countries and received as gifts with excitement and pleasure.

Today, chocolate is no longer considered an “exotic” luxury item. In addition to Western brands, many Asian countries have developed their own chocolate industries, incorporating flavors and ingredients that resonate with Asian palates. However, what lies behind the chocolate bars that we see daily on supermarket shelves remains, for many, unknown territory.

Is cocoa produced in Asia? Why has chocolate been absent for so long from the Asian culinary landscape, and can local producers meet today’s growing demand? Who are the farmers cultivating cocoa in the region, and what are the challenges they face when asked to scale up production in a sustainable way?

Conceived as a collective and creative research project, this exhibition invites us to delve into these issues, aiming to shed light on the many untold stories of Asian cocoa and chocolate through an array of embodied, emotional, imaginative, and conceptual artistic expressions. From the cocoa tree’s unique characteristics and its colonial history to the ecological challenges surrounding its current production and the intricate processes involved in turning beans into chocolate, the artistic diversity showcased in this exhibition unveils the extensive breadth, potential, and complexity of what is often perceived merely as a foreign delicacy.

’Untitled (7 Events)'
 

Exhibition: 10 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sat, 12 Mar – 04 May 2024
Galerie Quynh, 118 Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, D.1, HCMC

Galerie Quynh is excited to announce the opening of Untitled (7 Events) – a major solo exhibition by Hanoi-based artist Pham Minh Hieu. Presenting work developed over the past 10 years, the exhibition reflects the core ideas that represent the artist’s practice. An exhibition of exhibitions, Untitled (7 Events) has theoretical underpinnings in speculative realism¹ and new materialism². Pham has created imaginative ‘total installations’ that immerse spectators in an aesthetic experience. This way of making allows for divergence where different disciplines and genres intertwine, their boundaries fraying and transforming.

Pham Minh Hieu (born 1996, Hanoi) holds a BA with Honors in Art Practice from Stanford University. His interdisciplinary, collaborative practice is informed by creative thinkers in fields spanning philosophy, physics, technology and anthropology. Pham often traverses various modes of making from artificial intelligence, nanofabrication, and additive manufacturing to traditional crafts like glassworking, son mai (lacquer), and kham trai (pearl inlay) to create things at their fundamentals. He installs his work into dwellings he calls ‘total installations,’ where things are quested to speculate reality as they gather and unfold across scales.

Notable exhibitions include Fractured Times, The Outpost, Hanoi, Vietnam; Pham Minh Hieu: Nhu the la (Quasi), AGOhub, Hanoi, Vietnam; and O day & Bay gio (Here & Now), 93 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hanoi, Vietnam. In 2021, Pham was the recipient of the John Shively Fowler Award in Photography at Stanford University. He is based in Hanoi.