Art Director Mizuki Endo on “VCCA Young Artist Incubation Program 2019″

Words by Nguyễn Đức Tùng, photos by Lê Cao Tùng for Hanoi Grapevine and VCCA
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Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA) has been organizing a long-run project called “VCCA Young Artist Incubation Program 2019”, aiming to seek and support promising young Vietnamese artists on the path of pursuing a professional artistic career. Hanoi Grapevine speaks to Mr. Mizuki Endo, Art Director of VCCA about this program.

How does VCCA operate the VCCA Young Artist Incubation Program 2019?

To support artists in Vietnamese contemporary art scene is one of our important missions. Our main activity is bringing high quality art exhibitions. At the same time, we believe that VCCA can contribute to the art scene not only through exhibitions but also by accompanying talented young artists who are able to create positive artistic value for society.

We are working on the VCCA Young Artist Incubation Program 2019 with 2 different courses. The first one is for artists that already have clear ideas about their works and projects. We have selected 5 artists, supporting them during production process as well as organizing exhibitions at VCCA.

The second program is for young and less experienced artists, promising individuals, who need certain support to reach the full potential and go further on the path of professional composition. We have selected 4 artists. The first thing we gave the them was lecture series with experienced artists and experts. In particular, the lecture with Ms. Mami Kataoka – Deputy Director and Chief Curator of Mori Art Museum (Tokyo) was open to the public, the rest were privately for the artists in the program.

In addition to lectures on contemporary art, the program also provides additional information and cross-disciplinary knowledge on the history and culture of Vietnam, introducing some soft skills for artists such as writing art profile, how to use English in arts,…

At the same time, we also assist artists with resources during the production process. Individual consulting sessions with each artist are still going on. They will also participate in exhibitions organized by VCCA. Last but not least, the artists can go to foreign countries for 1 month of residency. We think it might be Germany, Japan, Indonesia,… depending of each artist’s characteristics and demand to grow. If the artist wishes to join other countries and has good reasons for that choice, we will consider and provide them with appropriate support.

Can you tell me more about the similarities and the differences between the artists in the program?

They are really different from each other. The mediums are different. The concepts are different. What we want to see is the strong will, the ambition to develop themselves to be professional artists. That’s the most important thing. We believe that young artists can show their creativity to a wider scale of audience. Not only among the artists’ friends, clients, but also the general public and international curators. I wish the artists can imagine how to be appreciated in a wider world.

How has young artists developed after participating in the program?

I think everybody has developed a lot. They discuss new ideas, new concepts, new techniques and new way of exhibiting their artworks. They are really “growing” rapidly. It is a huge pleasure for us.

For example, the female musician Hà Thúy Hằng’s original idea was to make a kind of video clip about music. But now she changed her original idea to an interactive installation. It is a great development.

Nguyễn Đình Phương is a unique artist. He makes artworks in a more site-specific way. We will arrange a unique and suitable space to carry out his work.

Đoàn Văn Tới is almost going to the next level actually. He needs to examine into making a huge painting, fighting against the difficulties of the new mediums, making the most harmonized composition in the end. It is a big change and he is working hard.

Among those young artists, Nguyễn Châu Hoàng Gia doesn’t live here in Hanoi. Did that cause any difficulties during the consultation and the production phase?

We connect and discuss with each other via the internet, and the geographical distance does not matter much. Even though he is a little “light-weighed”, now he has got a clear idea. He is really talented actually.

After these young artists have gone through all courses of the Incubation program, does VCCA have any plans to support them in the future or let them develop themselves?

It’s not decided. But we’d like to do it again, with different artists. I think every 2 or 3 years is the best. That amount of time is suitable for all the courses like lectures, exhibitions,…

It is not easy for young artists in Vietnam to pursue artistic careers. Do you have any general advice for them?

The artists need to survive somehow. But if you see the longer term, you can open your perspective wider. There are some possibilities that you can be famous internationally. Your artworks can change the society in a good way. I think the artists are responsible for the public. And public means everybody, either young or old, rich or poor, in Vietnam or in the world. So artists should imagine who’s their public, and we believe wider is better, diverse is better.

For me each form of each artwork represents how the artists define the meaning of their public. If the artwork has traditional theme and has the images of lotus flowers in it, it means the artwork is for Vietnamese audience, for Vietnamese sensibilities. But if the artist makes a big abstract painting, which not many people want to buy and put in their homes, the artist is imagining about his or her future audience.

Do you think VCCA Young Artist Incubation Program 2019 is a unique support program?

It’s really unique. I’ve never seen it before in Vietnam. Of course there are some kinds of support programs like this in the U.S., European countries or Japan, but not in Vietnam. I know some of foreign institutions or embassies can operate support programs. But I believe they’re only for the established artists. For that reason, VCCA would love to support more younger artists.

What do you learn from the young artists?

I learnt how young artists keep the correct distance with any particular system. There are many official art systems here, like the University of Fine Arts, museums, foreign institutions, embassies,… And if you check the internet, you can see a lot of things happening around the world. The young generation has their own culture. I believe that young generation are making an “in between” position, not belonging to only one system. Be in between means they can work with international artists, local artists,…any kind. That kind of flexibility is important. The young artists are exploring right now.

Thank you for sharing!