[TGS – Introducing Artists] Mai Huyền Chi & Ngô Đình Bảo Châu
The Grapevine Selection, was initiated by Hanoi Grapevine’s founder – artist Brian Ring in 2013. The exhibition series The Grapevine Selection is an initiative within Hanoi Grapevine’s mission plan, which is to promote Vietnam’s arts and culture at home and abroad.
In 2024, the Hanoi Grapevine team wants to focus on and promote the flexible perspectives and standards of pioneering organisers and individuals who invest in research and private art collections, each with their distinct perspective that is independent and full of aesthetics, as well as transcending the oppressive biases of the current society. Therefore, this year’s art advisory board is diversified, including art researcher/curator Do Tuong Linh, collector/head of an art organisation Ariel Pham, and international researcher/collector Sophie Huang.
With the vision of The Grapevine Selection exhibition as a contribution to the foundation of the creative industry and art market in Vietnam, the choice of space enhances the experience of contemporary works while also partly facilitating a dialogue between history and modernity, tradition and innovation.
ARTIST: MAI HUYỀN CHI
Mai Huyền Chi is a Vietnamese writer-director, whose screenplays range from feature films, short films to documentaries, including “Down The Stream” (2015), “A Brixton Tale” (2022), and “The Girl from Daklak” (2022).
Her film practices revolve around marginalized communities in order to explore the relationship between personal and collective memories. In 2023, she directed and produced her short film “Lụa”, a film project featuring the underserved communities of the Mekong River, reflecting her commitment to using cinema to create space and time for those who don’t have much chance to hear-see.
Mai Huyền Chi also works with installation, moving images, and performance art.
ARTIST: NGÔ ĐÌNH BẢO CHÂU
Ngô Đình Bảo Châu, who Graduated from HCMC University of Fine Arts, is a multidisciplinary artist with a strong interest in everyday life.
Describing herself as a greedy person who “likes a lot but is not really attached to anything” (ELLE, 2020), Ngô Đình Bảo Châu is not hesitant to push the boundaries of materials. Châu’s practice is highly experimental, incorporating a variety of mediums such as painting, drawing, installation, sculpture, sculptural objects, sound, etc. Moreover, Châu also frequently collaborates with artisans to choose the best materials for her works.
Ngô Đình Bảo Châu is passionate about combining the original nature of an object or phenomenon with her imagination to re-conceptualize them in her own way of interpretation. Châu believes that the essence of daily life lies in all aspects of our existence, including our behaviors, beliefs, and habits; as well as in the relationship between individuals, the community and the timeline we are living in. Her artworks conveys the connection between art and function, architecture and collective memory.
