KVT’s December Diary…..22nd /23rd…..Mozeying around

From True Blue to the Freight Containers at Hanoi Creative City ….the long way round by bicycle

Spent some eye popping time with Le Quy Tong’s TRUE BLUE at Manzi but because I’m still turning the exhibition over in my mind and imagination…and because it is up until the 11th of the Happy New Year, I’ll have time to revisit it at the Manzi art space, have another of my favorite guava juices, and get it all into a perspective that I’m happy with

Needless to say it’s a 5 star outstanding collection of art works and you couldn’t have a nicer excursion in the silly season between the 26th and the 1st than to pop into Manzi and enjoy what’s on offer on the menu and the walls

Progressed to Hanoi Creative City to take an anticipated look at Gabby Miller’s exhibition at Nha San Studio on the 15th floor

But the exhibition space forgot its opening times and I had to be content with a view through the locked doors

But as it’s up until Jan 3rd I’ll have time to bet back and peruse the mixed media montage about the artist’s adventurous travel excursion on a container ship from the States to Vietnam- the long way round. I’m keen to discover the tacks she takes.

Not a wasted time though as it’s an adventure sitting in a café in the complex and watch the passing parade of gorgeous young males and females….the super fashionable; the over the top dressers; the cool and the hip; grunge and style abounding.

Upside down Xmas trees also abound…….

…….especially in the vicinity of a clever and creative jewelry maker near the front door…just through a pair of faux ethnic wooden doors that accurately suggest that the talented young things with magic hands and whimsical minds play with ethnic designs in their creations.

It’s called L’artique La and although there’s a bit of dross to attract the fluffy minded and non-cashed up, there’s a lot of nice stuff worth rifling through and snaffling up

As Xmas is just around the bend I bought a gift of a wonderful pair of slightly but delightfully tampered with ethnic ear-rings that had been made into a necklace

After that excitement it was off to the gelato café that makes super tasty ice creams at a 25% discount…though it was the eatery’s wall texts that made me choose it over the plethora of other places to pause and watch the parade

I was also taken in by Cong Café’s lightshades made of that cheap Chinese material that has made a strong fashion comeback. Once it was about the cheapest material you could buy before Doi Moi eventuated and it was consigned to the rubbish heap of bad news household history. That is until nostalgia reared its fanciful head

Gabby Miller’s container ship odyssey is echoed in the large steel containers that are and are going to be used as stores and cafes around the HCC complex

I’ve been fascinated by the architectural uses that shipping containers are put to since I came across a house in Burlington (Vermont USA) a few years ago

The link here may help illustrate some of the sensible uses that used containers can be put to

Apart from the jewelry, Nha San, the gelato and the passing parade of young things, it’s those creatively used containers that will pull me back to HCC

To finish off : A couple of the levels at the complex are awaiting to be rented and refurbished.
Just imagine the dramatic uses this space could be adapted to….my mind suggests interactive drama theater.

Anyhow….using a starry angel courtesy excellent artist Do Tuan Anh, I wish you all the best over Xmas