Tet Art 2016, the biggest Vietnamese and foreign art fair of the year, will kick off on January 21 in Ha Noi.

Shaping up nicely: A part of an installation by Baptiste Gilloz entitled All about Love.

The 100 participating artists include Leonid Tsvetkov, Baptiste Gilloz, Le Thiet Cuong, Tran Luong, Trinh Tuan, Thanh Chuong, and Tran Huy Oanh.

A group of curators, art critics and experts selected 200 works that will be displayed on the fifth floor of Ha Noi Creative City at No 1 Luong Yen Street, a hub for art lovers.

Tran Luong, holder of a 2014 Prince Claus Award, has long been a leader in the Vietnamese artistic community and a key player advancing the country's critical contemporary art. Luong graduated from the Ha Noi Fine Arts University in 1983.

Luong was a founder of Nha San Studio and a member of the famous Gang of Five. Luong focuses much of his time and energy on helping young artists tease out their ideas and bring those ideas to fruition in exhibitions.

Tsvetkov was born in 1980 in Russia. His works have been displayed in many countries and he has won many international awards.

Art critic Natasha Kraevskaia, the beloved wife of Vu Dan Tan (1946-2009), will bring her husband's work to Tet Art 2016. She'll also hold a workshop about the painter and the origins of Vietnamese contemporary art on January 23.

In 1990, together with his wife, self-taught Tan founded Salon Natasha, the first private gallery in Ha Noi. During the early 1990s, Salon Natasha was the only independent exhibition space free from governmental control, and open to both art professionals and the public.

Tan was known for his unique and intriguing artistry. He applied recycled and abandoned everyday materials to his works, such as carton boxes or discarded candy packets.

His work has been widely exhibited and collected in countries such as France, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Finland, Japan, the US, and Singapore.

After Kraevskaia's conversation, the art talk series will continue with artist Tsvetkov and his works, collector Nguyen Minh, traditional lacquer in the contemporary context and an opportunity to invest in art in Viet Nam.

Art films will be screened during the 10-day event with support from Ha Noi Doclab. The schedule will be updated on the official website: www.tetart.org.

A workshop on wood prints will be open from 2pm to 6pm during the event.

Artists Pham Khac Quang and Nguyen Duc Manh will showcase traditional and modern wood print techniques. Attendants can create their own prints.

Tet Art was founded last year to introduce classic and modern art from remarkable artists; connect artists with collectors, galleries and art lovers; connect domestic and international artists and boost the national fine art market.

"We expect that the event will bring art closer to the public and help the local contemporary art scene develop," said painter Truong Minh Tien, founder of the event.

"We're proud that so many artists have gotten involved in the event. They are representatives from different fine art genres including paintings, installation art, graphics and sculptures. As the event is named Apotheosis, visitors will have a chance to enjoy many outstanding works by many artists at the same time and venue."

Baptiste Gilloz from Paris and Tran Nhat Thang showed their works at Tet Art's pre-opening.

Entitled All about Love, Gilloz's artwork was inspired by the idea of first loves and bonds. Visitors were told to focus on how to arouse an idea, a memory or a feeling. He encouraged audiences to dig further and bring the thought back to the surface.

Thang shared memories about Tet in the old days through a 20m painting. It featured the red colour of the peach blossom and rubbish from firecrackers – what children like him eagerly awaited as Tet approached.

The pieces are on display at the site until the fair's official opening.

VNS