Tales of Amadeus Vu Dan Tan

09 – 17 Nov 2024
Children’s Palace Hà Nội
36-38 Lý Thái Tổ, Ward Lý Thái Tổ, quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

From the organizer:

The exhibition “Tales of Amadeus Vu Dan Tan” features a series of large-scale sculpture installations inspired by the sketches titled ‘architectural dreams’ by artist Vu Dan Tan. Located on the grounds of the Hanoi Children’s Palace, the works were created by curator Le Thuan Uyen, architect Pham Kien, and artist Ngo Thanh Bac, with support from Pham Van Hoang, XMArchitect, the family of the late artist Vu Dan Tan, PlasticPeople, Dogma Collection, and several generous individuals. The works are arranged in scattered areas to tell the tales of a mysterious fictional character named Amadeus Vu Dan Tan, who can travel through different spaces and times. In fact, Vu Dan Tan is one of the pioneers of Vietnamese contemporary art, known for experimenting with various creative materials, including simple, everyday items, thereby expanding the boundaries of understanding art.

Originating from the imagination of the Hanoi Children’s Palace as a magical space, containing many wonders, “Tales of Amadeus Vu Dan Tan” is scattered throughout the Children’s Palace in exposed yet somewhat hidden and easily overlooked locations, such as the porch, the moving corridor connecting the blocks of houses, the balcony, and the foot of the stairs in the Childhood Garden. Based on a few design details by the late artist, the team created cuts, folds, and insertions into the open-close elements to enhance viewer interaction with the art pieces. Following these unnoticed paths, the works become guiding characters, as well as a transforming tower, leading the audience into a world of innocence, freedom, with a playful, whimsical touch characteristic of Vu Dan Tan.

To share the story of Vu Dan Tan’s imagination and aesthetic marks with young audiences, curator Le Thuan Uyen collaborated with children’s book experts to transform the works into an engaging game for both kids and adults. This journey explores the modern tales about a wizard named Amadeus Dan Tan. At each stop, the giant sculptures (acting as guides) will reveal different traits of this mysterious character, requiring players to use their imagination and deduction skills to uncover and connect the underlying messages.

The exhibition Tales of Amadeus Vu Dan Tan is part of the Hanoi Children’s Palace: Nostalgia for the Future at the Hanoi Children’s Palace, within the framework of the Hanoi Festival of Creative Design 2024 from November 09, 2024 to November 17, 2024. Starting from the hand-drawn sketches in the archives of the late artist Vũ Dân Tân, which serve as a visual collection of countless “silent” objects, curator Le Thuan Uyen and their team have woven together one (or perhaps many) tales. These stories are inspired by creativity and are shaped by each individual’s personal experiences and perceptions, allowing the audience to co-create the narrative.

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