KVT and the Young Artists’ Club

The Young Artists’ Club has managed to break away from the dusty, musty exhibition space at 16 Ngo Quyen, got some sponsorship

…and put up its latest very rousing show in a very large space on the 5th floor of Creative City – and in celebration they’ve obliterated the white cube concept and become very dramatic.

Because it’s an immense space the 53 works have got loads of space within which to breathe and most manage create own mini atmospheres that encompasses the viewer.

The cut off age for being young is 35 but the younger of the Young Artists who organized the show invited former members-now older artists-to add oomph and body. Thus there are some very well known artists so don’t think that it’s one of those affordable art affairs.

A very handsome and inexpensive catalogue is available and has artist info and images of their one work on show, most of which is produced this year.

Of course the big fishing kill in the central provinces by a Taiwnese steel company features in a few works, notably by Nguyen Luong Sang, Dang Tu Thu, and Vo Thanh Than

Somehow the foreign environmental vandals who managed to wipe out decades worth of fish stock and probably extincted a few species in the process plus extincted future livelihoods for thousands of coastal dwellers and may even have caused an Agent Orange scenario for people in the area, only got fined a slap on the wrist, a measly $53million instead of a sensible few $BILLION for their efforts.

Other sea-sidey pieces which may well resonate are by Ku Khao Khai and Pham Minh Duc

The water color seascape below by Bui Duy Khanh could well intimate that all may not be well under the surface

It’s an eclectic exhibition. There are a few sculptural pieces scattered around and despite the tumescent lotus flower stalk by Tran Van Thuc the two stand outs were the aluminum river filled with cool dark water with vaginal opening and the vessel to which it may have given birth, by Tran Trong Tri

The polished chrome operation scene by Luong Duc Hung is a photographer’s delight and delightfully references Rodin’s Burghers of Calais

A couple of floor installations were reminders of recent exhibitions. A formal arrangement of aluminum truncated creatures – into what is probably a serious war game – by Thai Nhat Minh, and an informal scattering of hand crafted and bound soft objects by Nguyen Duy Manh

Performance art was not ignored with an onsite performance of the construction of fingerprints on canvas by Vu Bach Lien

…and a video plus resulting stained dress from a regurgitative performance about anorexia by Pham Hong

Nguyen Xuan Hoang has, what I presume may be a homage to recently departed Francis Bacon

Surreal social comment was floated past by Pham Huy Thong who, as a young 27 year old artist was lucky enough to be mentored and given valuable overseas experiences. In philanthropic vein Thong awards a prize each year to promising artists under the age of 27, offering foreign exchange.

The canvas by Tran Chi Thanh with ravenous dogs prowling menacingly around mythological icons is a nice comment on the ravages put upon cultural traditions by rampaging modernity and globalization

At the end of an engrossing time I decided, that all in all, my favorite work was the trio of misty drawings by Nguyen Huy Anh. Perhaps that’s because they sort of grounded my senses

It’s going to be a popular exhibition and worth viewing – and while you’re in the vicinity it’s also well worth your while riding the elevator up to level 15 and getting a dose of ATUM ATUM.