KVT – On One Hand a Door Closes and on another a...

KVT – On One Hand a Door Closes and on another a Door Opens

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KVT 2014

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KVT and four lives of Art Vietnam….from Hang Than to Ly Quoc Su

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Ground Floor Panorama 2013

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NOTE: In this opinion piece I will not use names of artists whose work occurs in images used to illustrate the settings…..should you wish to know more then I’d suggest a visit to the new Art Vietnam and talk to owner Suzanne Lecht or her very knowledgeable staff. For a more in-depth opinion piece about Suzanne and her first two spaces see here.

In 2008 in my first summing up of the years art events I said that: what Art Vietnam is able to do, because of space and conservational talent, is to always give us exhibitions that are theatrical and often ethereal.

And, for me, my appreciation of Art Vietnam really reached fruition when I discovered their first commercial space in Hang Than in a spectacular, two story dwelling, designed by a French architect to follow through with a modern concept of a traditional tunnel house. The house was seconded to Art Vietnam until it was needed by the owners.

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Gallery Exhibition Jan. 14 06 - First floor - Tea Mat and Tam Cuc

When the door in Hang Than closed a new door opened almost immediately, not too far away, in a new building in Nguyen Khac Nhu which was beautifully appointed by Suzanne and her architect advisors. There were three main gallery spaces spread over three floors and a series of smaller rooms as you descended another set of stairs that deposited you in amazing little spaces.

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As it goes in Hanoi the rug sometimes get pulled from under your feet and you end up wondering where you’ll end up when you recover from that stunned, spread eagled, winded position on the ground

Thus after a few years of great exhibitions, that proverbial rug was tugged and half way down Suzanne had already decided on a third life compromise

So she opened a door into her home out in the suburbs and which I described at that time: It’s been featured in glossy books about modern Vietnamese architecture and even though these try, they somehow can’t approximate the intriguing character of the house, its very traditional and inviting Vietnamese furniture, its comfortable nooks and crannies, verandahs and vestibules, and its very amazing art collection that seems right at home in this two story house that has been topped with a third level – an ethnic minority, White Thai stilt house brought bit by bit from the village of Mai Chau and re-installed as a large but surprisingly intimate space

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Luckily the door to the house that became a very exotic gallery did not have to close permanently….but when a door to an old school near St Joseph’s Cathedral became ajar, the personnel at Art Vietnam became very excited and wringle wrangled a lease on what Suzanne and her architects have turned into a very luscious art space indeed….spread over two floors with a quiet outdoor area…so quiet that you don’t imagine that you’re in the middle of roaring traffic rumbling up Ly Quoc Su Street

It shares its space with the irrepressible and avant garde Nha San Collective so there should be a lot of good vibes bouncing between the two art spaces.

The new Art Vietnam opens its doors officially this week

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And the featured work will be month long retrospective of the work of grand old man of Vietnamese contemporary art, Nguyen Cam celebrating 20 years since he was welcomed back to Vietnam from exile

Suzanne too is celebrating her 20 year association with Vietnamese art and artists and so the flinging open of this new door is a propitious omen

Images below of the new gallery as it went through a trial opening to iron out any wrinkles showcased work by some of the very respected artists who have their art work under contract to Art Vietnam

Note the very old cement tiles on the floor, where the dividing walls of rooms used to exist, the spaces have been cunningly filled with white tile mosaic.

It is a very accessible art gallery and for those of us who thought that Hang Than and then Nguyen Khac Nhu could not be surpassed as each closed its doors, then we’ll wonder why we thought this way when we experience Ly Quoc Su

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So here’s a hearty Chuc Suc Khoe for that very lucky fourth door that’s opening and another bottoms up for the inside galleries that will continue to offer us high quality exhibitions that are theatrical and often ethereal… and, importantly, intellectually stimulating.

Every opening Art Vietnam has had for a few years Suzanne has had an outfit designed by Chula to wear on the night. The last time Nguyen Cam was on show in Art Vietnam incarnation 3 she wore.

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It will be interesting to see what Chula comes up with for incarnation 4.

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Kiem Van Tim is a keen observer of life in general and the Hanoi cultural scene in particular and offers some of these observations to the Grapevine. KVT insists that these observations and opinion pieces are not critical reviews. Please see our Comment Guidelines / Moderation Policy and add your thoughts in the comment field below.

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