SiaM vol 36: Above the Sea of Fog 

08 pm, Fri, 07 Jun 2024
Tita Art
164A Trấn Vũ, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
08 pm, Sat, 08 Jun 2024
Middle Cafe
55 Mã Mây, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

“Above the Sea Fog” is an invitation to the realm of German Romance. Leaving behind the ideals of rationalism, we delve into the nooks and crannies of the inner self, to places that’s long been hidden from the light. Let’s journey into the blurry space where consciousness and imagination intertwine, where the personal and the individual preside.

The first leg of this adventure follows the untitled story in Robert Schumann’s Märchenbilder (Fairy Tale Pictures), Op. 113. We continue on with the proud ego in the Piano Sonata No. 30, Op. 109 in E major by L.V. Beethoven, a piece from the Classical era, but composed by a musician with an explosive personality who was not limited by rigid rules and structures. Then, with its lingering melody, Philipp Scharwenka’s Trio for Violin, Viola and Piano Op. 121 in E minor brings us to a melancholic atmosphere, like a fog hanging in the air. After our journey through the fabrics of the inner mind, the journey comes to an end with the rays of sunshine from Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 26 in G minor, a source of light to show and brighten our inner spirit.

Joining the duo we know and love, Thu and Vân, on stage this month is violist Phùng Hoài Thu. Together they will paint a misty picture with music, taking inspiration from the piece, “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich. This painting reflects the smallness of of human beings in a moment of revelation, yet is also captures the experience of looking inside yourself and the complicated emotions that our small but miraculous body carries.

We Ate the Forest

10 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sat, 25 May – 27 July 2024
Galerie Quynh, 118 Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, D.1, HCMC

“The forest eats itself and lives forever.” – Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

But what happens if we eat the forest?

What does it mean for the forest to be consumed, and what will be left in its wake among our stark realities of environmental degradation and ecological imbalance?

Nadege David’s solo exhibition, We Ate The Forest, borrows its title from the 1957 book Nous avons mangé la forêt (We have eaten the forest), which refers to the agricultural practices of Vietnam’s indigenous Mnong people and written by the late anthropologist Georges Condominas. David’s new paintings, situated in our current era of the Anthropocene, thrust us into dense, saturated forests filled with myths and tales that unfold in a world populated with animals and vegetation pulsating with vitality and energy.

In the Act 

20 May – 03 June 2024
Vin Gallery
35/8 Nguyễn Văn Đậu, Ward 6, Bình Thạnh, HCMC

This exhibition, titled “In the Act”, represents the culmination of Hải Ô’s devoted work, aiming to deliver an experience of the ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY that is authentically rustic yet distinctly Vietnamese, visually unique in its expression, and adhering to international production quality standards.

Simple and endearing as a folk song about the homeland of Viet Nam:

“If it’s hard to go or to do, then back to the field to find fiddler crabs
Back to the river to find fishes, back to the field to find crabs”.
Hải envisions himself as a graceful egret (a common bird and popular symbolic images in Vietnamese tradition), gracefully gliding across the land, encountering and immersing in life… It all commences with a deliberate flutter of wings, merging a sense of wonder and exhilaration.

This exhibition tells a personal tale full of empathy and humor that Hai conveys through his work. It narrates the story of a young man who dedicated a decade of his youth to exploring and immersing himself in the tapestry of urban and rural landscapes. Armed with nothing but a camera and a heart that is open, pure, and tender, he cherishes every small miracle that unfolds before him.

Hải believes that when a photograph is captured, it encapsulates a unique world within—a different dimension, a parallel reality containing elements that viewers can interpret in their own captivating ways, thus forging a connection with the artist.

The exhibition serves as a retrospective synthesis, offering an appreciation of the journey Hải has embarked on with photography. It carefully selects memories and remarkable encounters from his enduring and organic photographic odyssey.

Untamed Souls

11 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sun, 14 May – 19 June 2024
Galerie BAQ, 15 rue Beautreillis, 75004 Paris

Galerie BAQ and Sàn Art are pleased to present Untamed Souls, featuring artists Trương Công Tùng and Nguyễn Duy Mạnh, to the Parisian public. This exhibition brings together two contrasting practices, becoming a sumptuous feast in a wild garden, and calls into question “earth” in all its physical, historical, and cultural implications.

In the center of the gallery, a dramatic banquet of symbols is set to feed six people. These cups, bowls, and platters are part of a larger series of 54 place settings (created between 2017 and 2023) that represent the 54 ethnic minorities coexisting in the Vietnamese territory. Nguyễn Duy Mạnh named this series Hồn Xiêu – Phách Lạc (Wandering Souls – Lost Spirits): “hồn” (spirit) refers to the ceramic “skins” hanging on the wall; “phách” (spirit’s envelope) refers to the weightier, sophisticated dishes on the table, prepared from shards with ancient patterns. The artist’s sharing and distribution of the meal invites spectators to participate in its ritual, in a gesture that is both generous and intimate. Part of this meal was exhibited in Becoming Alice: through the metal tunnel at The Outpost Contemporary Art Center (Hanoi) earlier in 2024.

When My Spirit is a Butterfly 

10 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sun, 16 May – 09 June 2024
Cuci Art Studio, 3rd floor, 17 Hàng Cân, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Cuci Art Studio is grateful to introduce the exhibition ‘When My Spirit is a Butterfly’ by the group of artists: Nguyễn Xuân Hoàng, Phan Tuấn Ngọc, Nguyễn Đoan Ninh, Nguyễn Hồng Phương, Nguyễn Khánh Toàn, Đoàn Xuân Tùng. The exhibition presents a collection of 21 works, including works using paper and silk materials.

The artist takes his canvas as his wings to fly to gardens. Fragile as it may be, the stories etched in each stroke of the paintbrush are like the veins webbed within the wings. They are the stria through which the butterfly channels the vital energy that allows it to take flight, traveling from flower to flower; spreading the pollen grains so more are sown in the garden.

Before the artist opens up and pecks to the sun, they’re buried within a thick wall, a cocoon that encapsulates the period of the dark night of the soul. All creative ideas come from the unconscious. This period of the larva turning into pupa is a deep investigation of the mind into the very source of life. Artists are the only people intentional at making use of this often unnoticed or ostracized part of the Self.

Innercosmos 

15 – 28 May 2024, TomuraLee Gallery
No. 24, Street 1, An Khanh Ward, District 2, Thu Duc, HCMC

TomuraLee Gallery is pleased to invite you to the Art Exhibition “INNERCOSMOS” by artist Eolia Yoka / Laurent Judge. This exhibition will display a new personal collection consisting of 3 series. Beginning with a journey of contemplation in the “Nebulae” series of works by Eolia Yoka, is a source of energy that is both gentle and vibrant, drawing the viewer to the next part of the journey, evoking the path forward. the future and the unknown. Ending the journey is a series of works that reveal a strange, almost mystical universe by Laurent Judge.

He is a French artist, with a passion for art since he was very young and an impressive artistic style. Laurent’s passion for art was awakened by the variety of surrounding images, from cinema posters, the enchantment of records, Aubrey Beardsley’s engravings, or even posters for the 1982 World Cup by Joan Miro, these visual stimuli planted the seeds of inspiration in him from an early age.

His artwork blends abstract, surrealist, and expressionist styles with musical rhythms, providing a unique and personal artistic expression. His art aims to take viewers on a journey of introspection and ignite their imagination.

The Grapevine Selection x CNC | The Girl from Dak Lak

08 pm, Wed, 22 & 29 May 2024
Cafe NHÀ, 26 Phan Huy Ích, Ba Đình, Hà Nội

Within the framework of the exhibition The Grapevine Selection, Chùm nho Cinema would like to introduce a fictional film “The Girl from Dak Lak” by film director Mai Huyền Chi.

About The Girl from Dak Lak (2021):

Suong, a young girl from rural Vietnam, migrates to the bustling city of Saigon to work in a local eatery with two other migrant workers. Within the caging, barren walls of the eatery, their mornings are filled with repetitive tasks, and the rest of the day with vacuous, tedious hours. However, behind her veil of apathy, Suong battles a dilemma that she soon has to face with her family.

Year: 2021
Duration: 86 phút
Directed by Pedro Román, Mai Huyền Chi
Screenplay by Pedro Román, Mai Huyền Chi
Produced by Lê Thanh Hằng
Cast: Y Sương, Hạnh Ruby, Trần Thị Thanh Trúc, Huỳnh Thị Phương, Trần Khánh Sơn
Camera: Tạ Minh Đức
Editing: Pedro Román, Tạ Minh Đức

Mai Huyền Chi is a Vietnamese writer-director, whose screenplays include three feature films: A Brixton Tale (UK, 2022), My Mr. Wife (Vietnam, 2019) and The Girl from Daklak (Vietnam, 2022).

Her debut short documentary, “Down The Stream,” was a finalist for Vimeo’s Best of the Year in 2015.

She recently completed her solo fictional debut “Lụa”, a short film developed from her feature film project “The River Knows Our Names” (Far Udine Award Winner, Hongkong Film Financing Forum; Runner-Up, SEAPitch).

Exhibition "Home" 

24 May – 02 June 2024
Manzi Exhibition Space, 02 ngõ Hàng Bún, Ba Đình, Hà Nội

Home – we leave (to return), we return (only to leave again).

Home – some build it, others knock it down, and a few search for it indefinitely.

It’s a concept that everyone knows but may never touch. It’s an art exhibition not meant to be understood but to be felt. So how does one proceed?

Six artists peeled back every layer until they found “home” in its rawest form.

A mother laid her babies on the silk canvas soft as a lullaby. Another rubbed the gnawing sensation of loss on lacquer. One seeks out nostalgia in the act of gathering among humans and other living beings. A historian pores over ancient culture only to discover the lasting artifact that is maternal love. A friend finds that nurture & love aren’t necessarily fueled by blood relations. A nomad crisscrosses the earth only to realize home has accompanied them all along.

Here, every image, whether foreign or familiar, will awaken some deep corners of one’s subconscious. The sensation is akin to walking around & stumbling upon a memory of home.

Exhibition “The Sun’s Reflection”

10 am – 07 pm, Tues – Sun, until 09 June 2024
Gate Gate Gallery, 55 Văn Miếu, Đống Đa, Hà Nội

Gate Gate Gallery will officially introduce the exhibition “The Sun’s Reflection”, introducing 12 latest works created in 2024 by artist Le Quynh Anh.

The works in this exhibition have the theme “The Sun’s Reflection”, with titles reminiscent of brilliant summers in the places the artist has lived and visited. Between the different formal frames, the audience may perceive the lines converging and bulging or fading according to the artist’s breathing and arm movements, adding unevenness and expression to the surface of works. Each work exudes the accumulation or condensation of time, sometimes patiently waiting for a spontaneous or self-conscious subtle streak of Quynh Anh.

Le Quynh Anh graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (2018) and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts (2020) from Vietnam University of Fine Arts. Though known for realism/ semi-realism paintings, since 2023, Le Quynh Anh has officially pursued abstract art as her prominent form of expression. Always trying many approaches, diversifying expression styles and above all, maintaining her purity in illuminating reflective memories, Le Quynh Anh received positive reviews from art experts domestically and internationally. Notable exhibitions include: The 58th Shutai Exhibition at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (Japan, 2023), 3D virtual exhibition “”I AM AN ARTIST”” organized by Kita Kamakura Artisans (Japan & America, 2023), The 76th Fine Art Exhibition of the Women Artists Association at Tokyo Art Museum (Japan, 2023), Art on Loop London Exhibition (UK, 2023),… Currently, Le Quynh Anh lives and works in Hanoi.

The Oddball, the Reebel & the Maverick

10 am – 08 pm, Tues – Sun 07 May – 28 July 2024
The Outpost Art Organisation, Roman Plaza Tower B1 (Floor 2), To Huu, Hanoi

As a collaborative project between The Outpost (TO) and Nguyen Art Foundation (NAF), this exhibition underscores the resilience of artists amidst the challenging landscape from the 1980s to the 2000s – a period often defined by a serious lack of art infrastructure and support. Moreover, the exhibition seeks to invite reflection on the dynamics and interactions between art organisations in our current context. As individual artists continue to share resources and push boundaries, we must also consider how organisations can collaborate to support our local art scene. What would happen when two distinct art organisations such as TO and NAF intersect – one curating the other’s collection? What opportunities for mutual learning would arise from such engagement? How could these partnerships enhance the way we see and understand artworks?

The contextual materials presented in this exhibition are collected from various sources, including the “Studio Visit” series of Nguyen Art Foundation, online entries of the Asia Art Archive, excerpts from the book “Don’t call it art” edited by Veronika Radulovic and Annette Bhagwati, the personal archives of Suzanne Lecht, information from the Vietnam Contemporary Art Database and the Postividai Collection’s website.

“Fragment | Depiction”

Until 1 June 2024
Ô Cocktail & Art Bar, 292/15, Điện Biên Phủ, Ward 17, Bình Thạnh, HCMC

Limitless Contemporary is pleased to present “Fragment | Depiction”, a solo exhibition featuring the latest silk paintings by young artist Le Nguyen Minh Nhu.

Since 2021, Minh Nhu has written down fragments of disrupted dreams, viewing them as a window to the unconscious mind. For her, translating these enigmatic dreams into paintings is an imperative driven by raw emotion—a means of self-interpretation.

While silk paintings are mainly integrated with traditional themes in Vietnam’s art history, Minh Nhu’s artworks offer a lens to themes of the young’s disconnection, loss of belongingness, and existential crisis in the contemporary societal chaos.

Workshop Series Sóng Sóng: Sound Exploration for Creative Practice

02 pm – 04 pm, every Sunday 05 May – 23 June 2024
APD Center, Creative Square, No 1, Luong Yen Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

Contemporary art forms contain sonic elements either as conscious acts directed by the artist, or as consequences of processes or movements within a piece. Sound is also a pre-existing condition of any physical space so that even a stationary image, object, or installation can be said to have a sound element as part of its overall experience.

This understanding is the root of the involvement of musicians in visually-focused artistic activity since its inception. While these collaborations are welcomed and valued, artists who aren’t well-versed in sound can gain a lot by becoming more familiar with sound as a discipline in order to take a more direct part in creating their own soundworks, or simply to increase their awareness of the sonic realm. This can also lead to improved communication with sound practitioners – performers, composers, technicians – and more creative results.

The idea of this workshop is to facilitate exploration into sound as a medium of artistic expression using accessible resources. Artists are invited to deepen their understanding of sound as a natural phenomenon and an expressive channel. We will take initial steps towards experimenting with sound as a medium to be considered and applied to art practice. This will provide the foundations for a more direct and personal connection with sound from the perspective of a listener and creator.

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.

Humming at the End of a Dream

Exhibition: until 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.

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: until 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.