HCM City’s visual arts culture in recent years has seen the opening of new contemporary art spaces, including The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre (FCAC), BLANC Art Space and Dong A Gallery.

Multiple new contemporary art spaces including The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, BLANC Art Space, and Dong A Gallery have brought a breath of fresh air to HCM City (Photo courtesy of Viet Nam Investment Review)

Other popular venues that opened around 10 years ago included San Art, Doclab, Dia Project, Gallery Quynh, Nha San, and a few others, according to Phu Nu (Women) Newspaper.

Though they were successful in showcasing contemporary art, some of these venues had to close because of a lack of visitors.

Venues that have opened in recent years have learned from their counterparts and are doing reasonably well.

The 1,000-sq m Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, which was opened in March 2016 in District 2 by designer Thuy Nguyen, has  showcased 14 exhibitions and multiple workshops.

About 50 artists, including Vietnamese and those from Singapore and Hong Kong, have taken part in the exhibitions, attracting 1,000 to 3,000 visitors each.

Popular exhibitions included Mat Xich (Chain) from artist Le Hoang Bich Phuong, Lac chon (Dislocate) from Bui Cong Khanh and Nang bang phang (Flat sunshine) from Lena Bui.

“The demand for contemporary art is high and artists need a space to introduce their fine pieces. Hence, it’s necessary to create a spot which benefits visitors, artists and organisers,” Thuy said.

“Of course, higher quality is expected after each exhibition. Later, artists are required to deliver more creative artworks in order to draw audiences,” she said, adding that the local art industry was developing well.

The BLANC Art Space in District 3, which was also launched last year, stands out, primarily for its project “A new artist every two weeks”.

After the exhibitions "A showcase of Saigon in the 90s" and "Three-square-metre Saigon" were held, BLANC Art Space became a popular destination for locals.

Another great art venue is Dong A Gallery, known for organising multiple meetings between international artists and local audiences.

The 4,000-sq m Vincom Centre for Contemporary Art (VCCA), which was launched by Dong A Gallery and Vincom in June, has  sparked visitor interests.

The VCCA aims to contribute to the development of contemporary art in Vietnam by bringing art pieces closer to the public and inspiring visitors with its aesthetic environment, said organisers.

Though a “newbie”, VCCA has carefully planned its journey with different themes every season.

The first event of VCCA was The Foliage exhibition, which represented a dialogue between the cultures of the East and the West.

More than 19 artists participated in the exhibition, both professionals and amateurs.

The exhibition showcased art pieces of different topics and forms to provide visitors with an overview of what made up contemporary art.-VNA