Exhibition “From Plein Air to Atelier”

10 am – 05 pm, 01 – 09 Jul 2023
Art talk – Conversation with the artists: 09 am – 11 am, Sun 02 Jul 2023
Art tour – Conversation with the curator: 10 am – 12 pm, Fri 07 Jul 2023
LAGarden Restaurant – Lan Anh Village
No. 2, Street 45, Thủ Thiêm Ward, Thủ Đức City, HCMC

The timeless beauty of Italy – the magnificent Bel Paese nestled in the heart of Europe – has always been an endless source of inspiration nurturing the creative spirit of countless exquisite souls throughout the centuries. Beyond space and time, that beauty will be condensed within a promising exhibition called “Italy: From Plein air to Atelier.”

From profound similarities in heritage and art, the exhibition “Italy: From Plein air to Atelier” is born through the collaboration of Patron Art Space and the Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City, as part of a series of activities marking half a century of friendly relations and traditional cooperation between the two countries. Throughout 50 years of meaningful connections, we have witnessed a journey in building deep economic and diplomatic relations, as well as joint efforts in promoting multidimensional intersection and understanding between the two nations.

The exhibition is a harmonious symphony of Italy’s unique natural and cultural heritage through the perspectives and practices of two contemporary Vietnamese artists, Bui Duy Khanh and Duong Thuy. By employing color, light, delicate plein air techniques, and their own thoughts and emotions, the two artists skillfully recreate and transform their wonderful experiences of Italy into vibrant and meaningful artworks of Vietnam. The exhibition not only offers an emotionally charged artistic interpretation of unique cultural aspects but also symbolizes the long-lasting friendship and the importance of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Exhibition “Neverwhere”

Jun 13-Aug 5, Tues – Sat, 10 am – 07 pm

Galerie Quynh, 118 Nguyen Van Thu, D1, HCMC

In the vast expanse of the universe, we find ourselves in an infinitesimally small space, encountering endless mysteries that defy our understanding. Throughout history, artists and scientists alike have been captivated by the idea of parallel realities. Drawing inspiration from quantum mechanics, string theory, and avant-garde art movements,

Neverwhere delves into the uncharted territories of the imagination, transcending conventional norms and questioning the limitations of our perception. The exhibition brings together six visionary artists – Nadege David, Cian Duggan, Sandrine Llouquet, Ngo Dinh Bao Chau, Trong Gia Nguyen, and Vo Tran Chau – who invite us on a mesmerizing journey through the intersections of art, science, and spirituality.

The title “Neverwhere” borrows from the eponymous novel by Neil Gaiman that depicts an unseen world beneath the sewers – LondonBelow– where strange destinies await, suggesting the idea of a physical space that does not yet exist in time.

The UK/Viet Nam Season 2023

June – Dec 2023

The UK/Viet Nam Season will take place across Viet Nam, between June and December 2023 in order to celebrating the best of UK-Vietnamese partnerships across the arts, creative industries, higher education, and in English language. Its programme of events includes exciting workshops, performances, exhibitions, hackathons and more.

The UK and Viet Nam first forged a diplomatic relationship 50 years ago – this Season commemorates the 30th anniversary of British Council’s presence in Viet Nam. UK/Viet Nam Season is an opportunity to strengthen existing bonds and forge new creative partnerships between the people of both countries.

The UK/Viet Nam Season kicks off in June and will showcase the richness of the relationship between the UK and Viet Nam – from one-of-a-kind major festival performances, to interactive large-scale exhibitions that tackle global challenges, to works delving into the rich history of Vietnamese–British communities, or sonic journeys exploring the voices who have made a home in Hue City and Manchester. The Season is focused on building on the rich historic ties between the UK and Viet Nam, and how we create our future together.

Read with Us #7: Other Notions of Family

05 June – 02 July 2023, 07 am – 07 pm
2nd floor of Sóng Sánh Cafe
48 Ngoc Ha, Hanoi

Other notions of family. This showcase includes publications from Reading room, a new space dedicated to artbooks in HCMC, selected by its founder Long Nguyen.

Family has long been a go-to subject matter for many photographers, possibly because of its easy availability and accessibility. Photographing family members is traditionally an act of celebration and commemoration, but can it also be an act of grief.

The collaboration between the photographer with the members can go from familial and social to commercial and political. Is the artist the witness, participant or performer in such collaboration? Does the practice tamper with the bond, and how to make peace with that? Does kinship equal consent? How does the artist document different relationships within a family? What about biological vs adopted relationships? What about different types of families, be it nuclear or extended? What is family after all?

This selection of 11 photobooks centers around those questions and concerns. It offers a glimpse into how photographers from various social, cultural and religious backgrounds think of and document families. Obsession and ignorance. Peace and conflict. Bond and separation. Life and death. To photograph family is to reflect, explore and reconcile.

List of books:
Cui cui by Rinko Kawauchi
Cripian honey cathedral by Raymond Meeks
The Eighth Day by Gaoshan
Family by Masahisa Fusake
The Adventures of Guille and Belinda and The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer by Alessandra Sanguinett
Pia by Christopher Anderson
Raven by Masahisa Fusake
Knit Club by Carolyn Drake
Mom by Charlie Engman
Pictures from Home by Larry Sultan
Tropism, Consequences of a Displaced Memory by Nhu Xuan Hua

Exhibition: “Grace And Strength – Restitution Of A Photographic Residency”

18 May – 18 July 2023
The French Institute in Hanoi
15 Thien Quang, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi

Philippe Marinig is not a sports photographer. His matter is elsewhere. Intrigued by the formal, aesthetic and spiritual similarities of many martial arts, Marinig seeks to understand the deep links that could exist between practices that seem a priori distant. The visitor is seized by the power released by the bodies, in these choreographies crystallised by the lens of the photographer. As he progresses in the observation of the works, the feeling grows that the true force of the subjects is suggested rather than shown.

Marinig captured the grace and the strength of young Võ practitioners, as they proudly demonstrated their skills with traditional weaponry and martial postures.

This exhibition offers the visitor a stage of restitution of the work he started in 2019 and continues to pursue, in preparation for a more accomplished exhibition to come which will constitute a collection of images revealing strong and unexpected links between cultures and men that everything seems to oppose, imposing a universal reading of practices, preparatory rituals, pageantry and gestures through their spiritual and cosmogonic dimensions.

During the inauguration ceremony, experts in Võ cổ truyền Việt Nam will offer a demonstration.

Pham Ha Ninh – Entrusted Conjectures

June 24 – Aug 6, 11 am – 07 pm (except Monday)
Manzi Exhibition Space, No. 2 Hang Bun alley, 

Presenting a new series of “sculptures – measuring instruments” as a part of his on-going project titled “My Land”

How much of our perception of the world is shaped by the way we measure it?

Measurement refers to various systems of apparatus, units and rules based on which the uncertainty of value is reduced and can be expressed in a quantity. The standardization in measurement establishes a mutual understanding of quantities, and provides the basic reference for many disciplines. Measurement, thus, is a cornerstone of science, a fundamental step in framing and constructing the world.

Exhibition: “A Decade Of Exposure”

19 May – 19 July 2023
Art Vietnam Salon Gallery
2 alley 66 Yên Lạc, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội

Curator: Suzanne Lecht

Artist: Nguyễn Thế Sơn

Nguyen The Son will select eight photo reliefs from his original work, “Transform” created ten years ago and respond to them with eight new ones as these structures appear today in 2022. Working with the architectural researcher Yen The, Son has studied the history and life of the inhabitants and the buildings. By examining the lives of the original inhabitants, the artist gains an insight into how the lifestyles and the building structures have changed and yet what also remains the same.

Building a 3-dimensional structure of layers of each photo, the artist makes the structure come alive, inserting into the street side all types of conveyances that change with the times, from the cyclo to the bicycle to the motorbike to the luxury car, all symbols of the rapid transformation of the city.

As neon lights take over gas lamps, bold advertising usurps the quiet, somber atmosphere and pulses with the energy of contemporary life. A calm, contemplative beauty gives way to the cacophony and action of a modern-day city on the move, racing toward the future.

Exhibition “The Grapevine Selection”

Opening: 06:30 pm, Thurs 22 June 2023 (invitation only)
Exhibition: 09 am – 08 pm, from 23 June – 09 July 2023
Audi Charging Lounge
6B Ton Duc Thang, Ben Nghe, District 1, HCMC

After the great success of the exhibition at Temple of Literature, Hanoi, The Grapevine Selection will be officially present at Audi Charging Lounge, a new destination for art lovers in Ho Chi Minh City from June 22, 2023. The exhibition will feature 53 artworks from 16 artists, selected by the Art Advisory Board.

In addition to promoting young artists and supporting the art community, expanding the knowledge of audiences and potential collectors, The Grapevine Selection presents notable works of selected artists – names and faces with their own artistic styles that create new highlights in the Vietnamese art scene. Unlike the operating structure of a typica gallery or a curated exhibition with a specific theme, The Grapevine Selection puts the focus on the artists and works of representative values, setting milestones for the future with long-term art archives and collections. We hope to be one of the pioneering creative hub in directing the attention, observation and research on the development of contemporary art in Vietnam.

In addition, The Grapevine Selection 2023 is a bold experiment when placing contemporary works of outstanding artists, from painting and sculpture to installation in a space rich in cultural heritage such as the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam to a modern high-end industrial space like Audi Charging Lounge. Hanoi Grapevine hopes that the change in space will not reduce the audience’s experience of enjoying art, but will resonate with works of unique beauty, increasing the sensory experiences by cross-linking exhibition spaces and themes, a trend that will explode in Vietnam in the future.

The Grapevine Selection 2023 selected artworks and artists from the following areas of art practices: Painting, Sculpture and Installation with consultation from the Art Advisory Board.

Screening of award-winning African movies

June 26-30

A programme featuring African films screened in the Pan-African Film & TV Festival of Ouagadougou.

Introducing films that have won many awards at prestigious film festivals around the world including Horses of God, Night of the Kings, Dancing in the Dust, Freda, and Sun.

Screening of Australian children’s animation Bluey

June 25-27 at IDECAF in HCM CityJune 30 and July 1 in Hanoi's CGV

July 5 in Danang City

July 6 in Can Tho City

The story centres on Bluey, an anthropomorphic Blue Heeler puppy who is six years old and is known for her endless energy and curiosity in the outside world.

Three episodes of Bluey, Magic Xylophone, Grannies, and The Beach, which are 21 minutes in total, will be screened with a Vietnamese voiceover.

Bluey is an animated series about a family of Aussie blue heelers dogs, produced by Brisbane-based Ludo Studio for ABC Kids and is co-commissioned by ABC Children’s and BBC Studios.