ACAM 2025 | Session 1 – Understanding the Coordination in Arts: Between the Visible and Invisible

09 am – 12 pm, Fri 26 Sep 2025
COMPLEX 01
29/31/167 Tây Sơn, Hà Nội
Registration link
Deadline for registration: 12 pm, 25 Sep 2025

From Hanoi Grapevine:

For the first day’s theme, “Holding Space”, the opening session of ACAM 2025 sets the stage by unpacking the role of the art coordinator — the person who ensures that artistic ideas transform into reality. From backstage logistics to emotional labor, from liaising between curators and artists to navigating bureaucratic processes, the work of coordinators often remains unseen and undervalued. This session will outline key definitions, historical contexts, and working realities of coordination in the arts within Vietnam and the region.

Topics:
– What does it mean to be a cultural coordinator?
– The visible vs. invisible labor of coordination
– Models of coordination across independent, institutional, and hybrid spaces

Note:
– The program has a limited number of attendees. You will receive a registration confirmation email within 72 hours.
– Participation is FREE OF CHARGE. Each email can only be used to register one person.
– To ensure the program starts on time, the organizers will begin check-in 30 minutes before each session’s official start time.
– By attending, the audience agrees to allow Hanoi Grapevine to use their images and feedback as materials for the program.
– Kindly note that food is not permitted at the event.

About speakers

Ngụy Hải An holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in International Politics from the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. Starting her career as a reporter in international news, she transitioned to the arts field in 2018, accumulating diverse experience as an education curator, communicator, coordinator, producer, and project manager.
An is currently the Communications and Education Manager at APD – Center for Art Patronage and Development, where she leads the implementation of diverse art education platforms, including courses, workshops, and practice-based projects, alongside managing public programs such as talks, film screenings, and performances.
From 2018 to 2020, An was the education curator at the Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA), where she conceptualized and executed public programs and coordinated over 100 events for diverse audiences while also building strong relationships with media and cultural organizations.
Beyond her core roles, An has also engaged in several projects and activities independently, including: manager for the classical music project “Schubert in a Mug” (since 2020); education curator for the sound workshop series “Improvisation Station” and “Deep Listening” at the Hanoi Festival of Creative Design (2024); public program coordinator for the “A Tide of Emotion” exhibition by Chiharu Shiota (VCCA, 2023–2024); producer for “A wo|man” – a contemporary dance play within Goethe-Institut Vietnam’s Antigone Saison Project (2021–2022).

Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà has been working as a researcher at the Vietnam Institute for Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism (VICAST) since 2004. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Korea in 2007 and her Ph.D. in Cultural Management from Vietnam in 2016.
Since 2012, she has been actively involved as a core member in various projects that have had significant impacts on the development of cultural and creative industries in Vietnam. Some notable projects include the National Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries in Vietnam to 2020, Vision to 2030 (2014-2016), Cultural and Creative Hubs Vietnam (funded by the EU, implemented by the British Council Vietnam in partnership with VICAS, 2018-2021), Strengthening Intellectual Property Enforcement in Vietnam Project (funded by IFCD_UNESCO, 2022-2023), Cultural City Profile: East Asia (funded by the British Council, 2021), A mapping research for Mobilizing cultural dynamics and youth participation for Hanoi Creative Capital (funded by UNESCO, UN Habitat, and UNIDO, 2021), and the National Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries in Vietnam to 2030, Vision to 2045 (2024).
Additionally, she is also a co-founder of Vietnam’s Creative Hub Initiative (ViCHI), which was established in 2019 and serves as a network of creative hubs in Vietnam and a member of Advisory Boards of Vietnam Design Week, Vietnam Festival of Creativity and Design, and Vietnam Music Week.
She is also a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility (for Stream II Culture|2030 Indicators) for the 2023-2026 term. She supported Vietnam and Hue City in implementing the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators pilot project in Vietnam and Hue City in 2022 as UNESCO’s regional expert.
Currently, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha holds the position of Director at the Centre for Cultural Industries and Contemporary Art, Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism. In this role, she contributes to the arts and cultural scene in Vietnam by offering diverse cultural and art programs and consultancy for artists, communities and organizations.

Trần Duy Hưng is a Hanoi-based arts producer/programmer, musician and writer. He is a co-founder and co-curator of The Onion Cellar (most active between 2011–2020 / an initiative that conceives and realises left-field music and cinema projects across scales and thematics) and Như Trăng Trong Đêm [Like the Moon in a Night Sky] (a multiple-edition film festival exploring the heritage of Vietnamese cinema). Hưng has also undertaken extensive work (planning, programming, writing, managing, moral-supporting, etc.) for Galerie Quynh, TPD Film Centre, Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective, British Council Vietnam’s Film-Archive-Music Lab programme, Out Of Frame Festival of Moving Image, Đàn Đó Group, Dogma Prize, the archive-film ‘Dust & Metal’, amongst others, and most recently the European Film Festival in Vietnam. As a drummer, Hưng is currently a member of the rock-bands CAR PUNK and Chú Cá Lơ. Some of the people he digs and feels inspired by include Georges Perec, Roberto Bolaño, and Jim Jarmusch.

Cai Xun was born in 1991 in Hangzhou, China. Cai completed a Master’s degree in Media and Cultural Studies at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong in 2014. She spent eight years working in Hong Kong at galleries, auction houses, and art management companies, gaining diverse experience across various sectors of the art world. Cai was relocated to Yokohama in 2022 and is currently involved in exhibitions, events, and international exchange programs at the Koganecho Area Management Center, where artists from around the world gather.
Cai also engaged in launching the “Bubba Bubble Collective,” which organizes projects in public bathhouses (sento), and “Moromoro-za,” an initiative focused on alternative film screenings. Through collaboration with peers from various backgrounds, aims to question the boundaries between art and everyday life, and to foster new relationships through cross-disciplinary and transnational practices.

Cao Thiên Thanh is an art coordinator based in Hanoi, with experience in managing and executing a wide range of art projects. She currently serves as an Art Project Coordinator at Heritage Art Space and is also responsible for content and system operations for the Vietnam Contemporary Art Database Project.
With a background in environmental science and prior experience in environmental monitoring and consulting, she pivoted to the arts in 2017. Since then, she has directly coordinated numerous independent art projects, connecting with both local and international artists and organizations.

Bùi Việt Bằng founded Long Biên Artspace in 2020 and serves as the curator of the Long Biên Art Fair, the first community art project in the Long Biên area of Hanoi. Growing up in a family with a traditional sculpting background, he was deeply influenced by art and has channeled this passion into writing and organizing exhibitions, aiming to bring art closer to the public. He has experience curating 05 Art Fairs and 18 art exhibitions, supporting over 30 art projects, and is also an art collector.
Under his leadership, the Long Biên Art Fair has brought together more than 20 painters and sculptors, showcasing approximately 100 artworks in a nearly 1,000 square meter outdoor exhibition space at the Mipec Long Bien shopping mall. This initiative transformed a familiar commercial area into an accessible art space for local residents who have had limited opportunities to visit formal galleries.

About Moderator

Nguyễn Tú Hằng is the Founder of Artist-in-Residence Vietnam Network (AiRViNe), dedicated to research on cultural mobility and residency programs, and Director at Hanoi Grapevine, a not-for-profit organisation supporting the artists’ ecosystem. Nguyễn Tú Hằng holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Management from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) and a Master’s in International Business and East Asia Studies from Sogang University (South Korea). From 2020 to 2023, she served as the Curator of Education at Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA). In 2023, she co-founded ddur.production—an open collective providing specialized assistance for exhibition projects. In 2024, Hằng received the Special Award for The Professional Exchange Program 2024 SEA Art and Cultural Practitioners from Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation (Taiwan), and a Fellowship for Conservation Treatment of Tangible Cultural Heritage from the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage (South Korea). In 2025, Hằng received the Japan Foundation Fellowship for Arts and Culture in Asia (Visual Arts).

About ACAM

ACAM (Arts Coordination Annual Meeting) is the first annual gathering in Vietnam aimed at honoring and strengthening the crucial – yet often unacknowledged – role of art coordinators. These individuals bridge the gap between artists, curators, institutions, and communities — managing timelines, handling permissions, translating cultural sensitivities, and ensuring creative visions are realized.
ACAM 2025 is co-organized by Hanoi Grapevine, Artist-in-Residence Vietnam Network (AiRViNe), COMPLEX 01, Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA), Hanoi Coordination Center for Creative Activities – Hanoi Creative City, Division of Cultural Heritage Management, Hanoi Culture and Sport Facilities, with support from the AIR Network Japan, Koganecho Area Management Center, Aomori Contemporary Art Center. The program is funded by the Small Grant Program from the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, Chau & Co Gallery, Mekong Cultural Hub and School of Interdisciplinary Sciences and Arts (VNU-SIS).

Follow updates on event’s page.