The Gang of Five, members Hong Viet Dung, Ha Tri Hieu, Dang Xuan Hoa, Tran Luong and Pham Quang Vinh hold an esteemed position in the history of fine art in Vietnam’s post-Doi Moi (Reform) era. 

They emerged in the early 80’s as Vietnam was struggling to rebuild after decades of war. Five male artists bound by friendship and a passion to express themselves freely without constraint, with a hope for the future that in the past was inconceivable, they pursued their dreams and consequently inspired others to follow.

Known for creating bold, distinctive works, depicting personal conceptions that departed from the socialist realist imposition of the previous generation of artists, they began to gain attention and started exhibiting abroad in the early 90’s. 

Their first exhibition as five young artists was in 1990 and they officially adopted the name “Gang of Five” in a 1993 exhibition in the Vietnam Fine Arts Association at 16 Ngo Quyen, Hanoi, one of the few exhibition spaces at that time. 

Invitations to exhibit abroad in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and in New York quickly followed as the world recognized the emergence of a culture previously hidden from the world view.

The exhibition site takes place at the Vietnam Film Studio where the new works of the artists will be presented along with a collection of archival materials highlighting a journey that traces their aesthetic development; the unique separate-togetherness that sustained the Gang of Five; the social environment that might have contributed to their acclaim while at the same time concealed their practices from thorough art historical discourse.

The previous works of the artists and the original copies of archival materials, owned by collectors worldwide, will be presented at the Art Vietnam Salon Gallery.

The exhibition will be accompanied by weekly curatorial tours that will take visitors through the exhibition venue, to Art Vietnam Salon Gallery and to the artists’ studios. 

The tour schedules will be announced in the coming days and visitors who wish to attend must sign up by sending an email to info@artvietnamgallery.com.

A catalog of the exhibition generously sponsored by the Goethe Institut Hanoi and ThingsAsian Press Hong Kong will be available by the end of the year.

Curated by Le Thuan Uyen and sponsored by the Asia Centre/Japan Foundation, the exhibition promises to be a landmark exhibition celebrating the achievements of this legendary group of artists, honoring their place in Vietnamese art history.

PV