KVT – A Meander through the Archives at Art Vietnam
Where to start with the excellent and carefully organized and presented exhibition of art works from the archives-old and new- of Art Vietnam!
What the show calls for is an art critic or art historian to encapsulate the wefts and warps that weave through the body of work and the philosophies of its Vietnamese art practitioners that have helped influence the whys and wherefores, and whynots of the development of art practices in Hanoi since the mid 1990ies, and also the allegorical significance of the show’s name.
The Gallery’s exhibition text is an essential read for committed viewers
If you want a detailed and informative art history type walk through the two galleries then I’d suggest this art tour to enlighten you; a group can be glimpsed below discussing one of Simon Redington’s intricately carved and intriguingly framed woodcut prints from 2003 titled Room Seven-Satan’s Cage before moving onto Nguyen Huu Tram Kha’s Persistent Growth from 2015 – an equally intricate wood carving placed on woodcut printed silk and Nguyen Quang Thang’s 2008 calligraphy in Indian ink on xuan paper
I’ll start my own tour with the newest?… the 2016 lacquers by 53 year old Truong Tan that feature his deliciously tumescent male protagonists in deliciously politically charged commentary… the red titled black cloud on the sky on the day of demonstration and the silver the protector which are guarded by the lunar horoscope animal of Diep Qui Hai (lacquer) and Lolo Zazar (mixed media)
Then its onto other bold black and white strokes on paper by Pham Van Tuan, Tran Trong Duong or Nguyen Duc Dung first exhibited in 2008 at a very bold black and white Tet show and which are, in 2016, cunningly bouncing off the black strokes on metal by Marita Nurmi (2010)
Works that are complete standouts are Phi Phi Oanh’s 2014, sensational, feminist statement in lacquered metal armor finding out what Le Quoc Viet heard and put on large paper scrolls in 2007
Ha Tri Hieu’s somewhat surreal 2010 beauty – number viii in a series – can’t help but grab attention.
After its 2013 Biennale the Singapore Art Museum purchased some of Tran Tuan’s metal forefinger benches. His latest in metal almost takes pride of place at Art Vietnam and cocks its trigger grip in allusion to the American War
If you are into mystery and spiritual symbolism the delicate silk scrolls and bronze figures of Nguyen Thi Trinh Le (2008) will enchant, and the equally mysterious-though sad- unfinished letters of Le Thua Tien will hold you in their clouded and dissolving intent.
Just about every admirer of the enigmatic falls head over heels with Nguyen Minh Thanh’s Diamonds (2004) no matter how often they see it while those who admire enigmatic works on silk in natural colors will wonder just why Nguyen Thi Chau Giang is wanting to join the that rather conservative party
And I’ve long been a head over heels admirer of anything sculpted in resin by Dinh Cong Dat –including his chooks and binary themed scholars (2011)
Xe may enthusiasts can’t help but be enthralled by Jorge Rivera’s (2015) life sized marble sculptures of a Honda Dream- and also by a canvas that drips with satirical comment, by one of my favorite painters, Nguyen Nghia Cuong (Flying with Emotion – 2012)
Nguyen The Son’s 3D photographic sculptural representation of Hanoi streets are getting to the stage of being, immersively, more hyper real than real while you can just about hear the snip of scissors while watching Catherine Karnow’s street barbers
A distinct star of the show is Dinh Y Nhi’s reclining, 2015, nude which once upon a not so recent time would probably have been accused of lascivious indecorum and given a censorship snip
The latest absurdist, surreal and politically pointy paintings by Saigon based Nguyen Manh Hung are true to form and his particular motifs always delight his fans – like me… the fighter plane in The Meeting and the lumbering tortoise in Checkpoint. The melding of past and present is wonderful – and thought provoking.
If your interest is not yet piqued then here’s a picture show to round off my personal tour:
Latest works from the very recent solo by Dinh Thi Pham Poong (see here for a review by Ilza Burchet)
The illuminated boxes of Vu Kim Thu from 2013 (her latest work is still up at Manzi)
The delectably bold strokes of the grand old man of the show, seventy two year old Nguyen Cam and Day and Night (2014)
The paper prints of Donald Damask
The lacquer plates from 1998 by Tran Hoang Son are counter balanced by the elaborate carved lacquers by Mai Dac Linh that compete happily with the Buddhist imagery in Trinh Quoc Chien’s Past Present and Future (2014)
The wonderful diptych birds and no birds on aluminum leaf by Marita Nurmi
The illusionary calligraphy explorations by Danh Anh Viet (2012) and sitting beside the river, a woodcut by Pham Cam Thuong (2002).
INCLUDED IN THE EXHIBITION ARE THREE ART VIDEOS. TWO OF THESE ARE EVERY POWERFUL, IMPORTANT WORKS BY TRAN LUONG AND TRUONG CONG TUNG.
ANOTHER FEATURING BUI CONG KHANH DESERVES ATTENTION.
My intent is to include these works in a future opinion piece
| Kiem Van Tim is a keen observer of life in general and the Hanoi cultural scene in particular and offers some of these observations to the Grapevine. KVT insists that these observations and opinion pieces are not critical reviews. Please see our Comment Guidelines / Moderation Policy and add your thoughts in the comment field below. |
A superb selection of important works which represents many of the important figures in contemporary art in Vietnam. Thank you for the fine presentation.
It’s an easy oversight, but the one name I feel has been omitted is that of the woman whose fine eye and curatorial expertise has made this largely possible – Suzanne Lecht. In many ways, curators are like gate keepers and to succeed in bringing this art to the public in a commercial context in a place like Hanoi for as long as Suzanne has is really something close to miraculous. Chapeau!
To many more years……