KVT – the Best of 2008

KVT takes a look back at 2008 and lists his choices for the best of the year.

Disclaimer and Thanks: As Hanoi Grapevine and its author rate a mention or two in this list, I would like to emphasize that KVT expresses solely his own opinions without influence or remuneration from the Grapevine, and that KVT is not me!

I would however like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for his support and for his always interesting – and sometimes deliciously controversial – opinions and commentary on the art scene in Hanoi.

Thanks as well to all those who have responded to his comments with their own viewpoints.

Best of 2008

IN MY OPINION – THE BEST ARTY BITS – HANOI 2008

My criterion was exhibitions or performances in Hanoi by Vietnamese nationals, or expats who mostly live full time in Vietnam. Collaborative work with foreign artists was OK but all of the exhibitions/performances by visitors including non-resident Viet Kieu were excluded. This list therefore doesn’t mention all of the excellent input by a host of foreign embassies, their affiliates, and foundations that has immeasurably enhanced Hanoi’s cultural life and experiences.

I hope some discerning arts lovers will add their favorites to this non-definitive list.

TOP OF THE POPS:

FIRE & ICE a collaboration between Vu Nhat Tan, a contemporary (“noise”) music composer and expat video artistBrian Ring.  A one-off outdoor video and live music performance at the old British Council headquarters in Cat Linh.
By far the best piece of art in Hanoi last year and if I included the stuff by any of the foreign artists it would still edge out all of them. Number 1 in the All Comers Top Ten.

AND IN RANDOM ORDER:

Best Internationalist:
Vuong Thao’s living fossil sculptures of the Old Quarter in Hanoi helped put Vietnam’s contemporary art scene on the 2008 international map. His continuing living fossil series (that include Long Bien Bridge, Night Vendors around Long Bien, and those idiosyncratic transport vehicles that were once common around old Hanoi and which are rapidly becoming illegal) continue to fascinate me. Thao’s a top tenner in the All Comers’ list.

Best Public Art:
The mosaics that are being installed along the dyke river road. So far they’re creeping slowly from opposite the Sofitel Plaza towards Long Bien Bridge. Usually I find mosaics a bit of a yawn and find they date quickly, but this project, due to be completed in 2010, is wonderful. I love wandering past the artists and craftspeople who are painstakingly assembling what will definitely become an iconic part of Hanoi.
AND
last winter a mob of local adolescents started to decorate their bicycles with feather boas, streamers, plastic flowers, flashing lights, music etc and of an evening they’d parade and cavort en masse up and down Ba Trieu and Pho Hue. Like any fashion fad or beautiful lepidoptera  it had a brief life but I’m glad I was able to witness its metamorphosis. Hopefully someone took some photos.

Best Music:
The Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony no 3 in D minor at the Hanoi Opera House. This was the orchestra’s icing on a cake that has seen it make some really good music this year, usually under the baton of that personable conductor, Tetsuji Honna.
AND
the fabulous Cracking Bamboo percussion workshop that led to two full house performances at the Opera House by local and international percussionists. You couldn’t help but stamp your feet in appreciation. A Goethe project and a definite top tenner.

Best Performance Art:
Nguyen Anh Tuan (Tuan Mami)‘s installation and very restrained performance piece Growing Up at Ryllega, would have to be in the top ten list. I’m now completely besotted with cheap, pre Doi Moi, Chinese wrapping paper. This young man should explode onto the international scene.  He could be Vietnam’s answer to China’s Zhang Huan….Saatchi here he comes!

Best Solo Installation:
see Nguyen Anh Tuan above
AND
also at Ryllega the excellent Everyman by Bradford Edwards . A wooden statue of an anonymous business man, found in TPHCM, and a lot of crumpled A4 paper and invoices made the small space an intriguing place to be in.

Best Group Exhibition:
Nha San Duc +10. A provocative show that would have been in overall number 2 spot if it had been more accessible and on for longer so that we could all have appreciated its brilliance. Could we possibly have a reprise…for at least a month? Exciting to say the least.

Best Dance/Movement:
I’ve seen the National Ballet dance Stravinsky’s Fire Bird twice and each time I’ve been impressed by the company’s ability to rise above the mundane. I keep hoping that the Firebird could be a catalyst towards a modern, contemporary repertoire. What we need is a sugar daddy (or mommy) to underwrite a renowned choreographer so that the company can achieve its evident potential and not be lost in the predictable backing up of patriotic sing songs, dancing old chestnuts like a borrowed Giselle (which they do well), or prancing and posturing in really dreadful popular vocalist performances.

Best Commercial Exhibition:
After a lot of deliberation the prize goes to Nguyen Minh Thanh’s well mounted exhibition at Art Vietnam. He’s one of my favorites in the strong Art Vietnam stable. An engaging, earthily toned show! 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.

Best Mentorship:
Edging out the great Danes, Goethe, Maison des Arts, Studio Tho, and Bookworm is L’Espace. Their 3 Days 3 Artists program has been innovatively outstanding. Over the year at least 36 young Vietnamese contemporary artists have had the opportunity to show often challenging work. Whoever conceived this program, thanks for your foresight, and please, L’Espace, for the sake of the young and the purpose-driven avant garde artists, please keep it going through 2009.

Best Retrospective:
I can’t go past Goethe’s really powerful exhibition of Le Quang Ha’s paintings and assemblages. There is a critical group of Vietnamese artists that could benefit from similar, well-curated retrospective shows and often it needs the impartial eye of a non-national to do them justice.

Best Thing to Happen to the Art Scene and Art Person of the Year 2008:
The Grapevine of course and Brian Ring! No medium sized city in the world is more accessed as far as their cultural scene is concerned than we are. When you realize that the tendrils of the vine grow and flourish without corporate input and mainly by one individual’s effort, then you can realize how lucky we are. The innovative push to add a Vietnamese translation to the blog that was realized this autumn is a great breakthrough in a democratization of the local arts.

Best Overall Vision:
I am giving my split vote to the Grapevine (for obvious reasons) and Maison Des Arts. In the latter part of the year the gallery became a bit pre-occupied with the safety of exhibiting foreign/expat stuff but, in this time of economic recession, I hope Madame Nga can afford to keep on with her exciting and often challenging presentation of young, Vietnamese artists. Her Long Bien Bridge Project, although delayed, is really conceptually wonderful. Maison started 2008 brilliantly and their Tet calligraphy performances and subsequent wallpapering of the entrance gallery with the results was enough to put them in my all comers top 10.

Find of the Year:
Thirtyish young man, Dinh Quoc Vu who exhibited his small, almost photo real, oils at Mai’s gallery. Let’s hope for a solo in 2009. All the top commercial galleries should be rushing to sign him up.

And Rating 5 star Mentions:
Cinematheque for giving us the chance to see non commercial releases and for concert pianist Ilya Rashkovskiywhose performance with the VNSO would have delighted Rachmaninof.

The venerable looking Vu Dan Tan at his studio in Salon Natasha in Hang Bong. He’s still one of the most collectable and boundary pushing Vietnamese artists and by far the most realistically priced. Now here’s a national treasure whose retrospective would be a blast, critically and visually. Do include that splayed Cadillac.

Studio Tho for pushing print work to the fore and for lifting young, contemporary VN artists into a professional limelight.

What is Equality? a brave group exhibition that seemed to have had its wings prematurely clipped.

AND, FINALLY, A FEW OF MY ARTY WISHES FOR 2009

• a continuing of arts patronage by foreign embassies – even in the face of conservative changes and policies in so many countries
• less control and interference in what can and can’t be shown and performed
• more courage and oomph by the commercial galleries
• lower prices for art works
• more conceptual art exhibitions
• much more contemporary dance
• a Vietnamese art biennale to get into a planning phase
• a push by corporations (international and local) to give more sponsorship to the contemporary arts in Vietnam
• A flight into fanciful heights for lots of young (and not so) artists

And may it all, in 2009, be as joyous as L’Espace’s wonderful opening party at the Museum of Ethnology for “Printemps Français à Hanoi” where the food installation by Cie Mirelaridaine was a delight before and during the ravenous onslaught and the music of Dai-Lam-Linh was ravishingly and deliciously different.