In the Act

20 May – 03 June 2024
Vin Gallery
35/8 Nguyễn Văn Đậu, Ward 6, Bình Thạnh, HCMC

From the organizer:

This exhibition, titled “In the Act”, represents the culmination of Hải Ô’s devoted work, aiming to deliver an experience of the ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY that is authentically rustic yet distinctly Vietnamese, visually unique in its expression, and adhering to international production quality standards.

Simple and endearing as a folk song about the homeland of Viet Nam:

“If it’s hard to go or to do, then back to the field to find fiddler crabs
Back to the river to find fishes, back to the field to find crabs”.

Hải envisions himself as a graceful egret (a common bird and popular symbolic images in Vietnamese tradition), gracefully gliding across the land, encountering and immersing in life… It all commences with a deliberate flutter of wings, merging a sense of wonder and exhilaration.

This exhibition tells a personal tale full of empathy and humor that Hai conveys through his work. It narrates the story of a young man who dedicated a decade of his youth to exploring and immersing himself in the tapestry of urban and rural landscapes. Armed with nothing but a camera and a heart that is open, pure, and tender, he cherishes every small miracle that unfolds before him.

Hải believes that when a photograph is captured, it encapsulates a unique world within—a different dimension, a parallel reality containing elements that viewers can interpret in their own captivating ways, thus forging a connection with the artist.

The exhibition serves as a retrospective synthesis, offering an appreciation of the journey Hải has embarked on with photography. It carefully selects memories and remarkable encounters from his enduring and organic photographic odyssey.

Seemingly unrelated images are meticulously curated and arranged, unfolding cohesively in segments that balance spontaneous whimsy with thoughtful contemplation, rich in empathy for humanity and life. Despite being captured using different cameras and printed in varying sizes, this diversity does not dilute the cohesive essence. Instead, it enriches and enhances the flexibility in Hải’s distinctive and characterful PHOTOGRAPHIC LANGUAGE, promising exhibition attendees a surprising and engaging experience.

Hoa Ta Gallery and Vin Gallery proudly present a harmonious fusion of artistic expression and top-tier production quality, adhering to the esteemed standards of Fine Art Photography.

Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to admire photography artworks created and exhibited in accordance with the highest global printing standards, an uncommon practice for photography exhibitions in Vietnam.Every detail is meticulously crafted, meeting archival standards and sourced from renowned brands with established expertise in the fields of photography, art, and preservation.

All production and quality assurance are handled by the VG-Lab facility, the sole Fine Art printing lab in Vietnam consistently certified by leading paper brands ILFORD and HAHNEMUHLE for many years.

After dedicated investments in curating the exhibition, we warmly invite everyone to witness the personal narrative that Hải, Hoa Ta Gallery, and Vin Gallery passionately unveil, all with a humble aspiration: to perceive the artworks as manifestations born from the dedication of photography practitioners.

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