Photo Hanoi ’25 | Exhibition “Continuum: Vietnam”
Opening: 09 am, Tues 04 Nov 2025
Discussion and Art tour: 09:30 am – 10:30 am, Tues 04 Nov 2025
Exhibition: 01 – 30 Nov 2025
1st Floor, No. 2 Lê Thái Tổ
Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
From Biennale Photo Hanoi:
From 01-30 Nov 2025 at first floor of 2 Le Thai To, Hanoi, British photojournalist Andy Soloman unveils a powerful photographic exhibition chronicling more than 30 years of Vietnam’s remarkable transformation through deeply personal encounters.
Continuum: Vietnam traces Andy Soloman’s photographic journey spanning over thirty years. Between 1992 and 1993, as Vietnam emerged from isolation, Soloman wandered from Hanoi’s ancient streets to remote highlands and coastal villages, drawn to lives shaped by resilience and hope. 30 years later, he has returned to find those he first photographed, inviting them to hold their portraits from decades ago.
The photos he took not only mark the sincere, emotional encounters between Andy and his subjects, but also capture the profound social, environmental, and cultural changes in the country after many years of transformation. In this exhibition, black-and-white archival images are juxtaposed with recent portraits, weaving a dialogue between past and present. Visitors glimpse not only the passage of time etched on familiar faces but also the profound transformation of a nation where tradition and modernity remain inseparably intertwined.
Satellite Event Discussion and Art tour
09:30 am – 10:30 am, Tues 04 Nov 2025
Language: English & Vietnamese
Registration link
As a satellite event of the Exhibition “Continuum: Vietnam”, Discussion & Art Tour opens up a conversation about the journey of connecting the past and the present through emotional reunions after more than 30 years between artist Andy Soloman and the individuals he once captured in his photographs. The conversation serves as an invitation to reflect on memory, enduring vitality, and the future of a constantly developing country that still preserves its original identity and heritage stories.
Andy Soloman – the international photographer with profound love for Vietnam
Andy Soloman was born in 1962 in England. He first came to Vietnam on a business trip that was supposed to last one month, but ended up staying for seven years. That unexpected journey sparked a lifelong passion in him—both personally and photographically.
As a freelance photojournalist from the UK, Andy came to Vietnam with a desire to explore and capture images of a country on the cusp of profound change. He witnessed a nation still suffering from the aftermath of war and harsh economic sanctions. However, amid countless difficulties, he discovered an astonishing spirit: the quiet determination, optimism, and extraordinary resilience of the people. He developed a special love for Vietnam—a place that would later become his second home, where he started a family and to which he frequently returns.
Thirty years later, drawing on his original diaries and archived photos from 1992-1993, Andy made several trips back to the Central Highlands, the northern highlands, Hanoi, and the Red River Delta. During his travels, he documented the changing landscapes of cities, rural areas, and ethnic minority communities. This was also a journey of emotional reunions with individuals and families he had met and photographed over 30 years earlier.
Continuum: Vietnam is part of the international Photo Hanoi ’25 biennale festival, organised by the French Institute in Vietnam under the patronage of the People’s Committee of Hanoi and in collaboration with UNESCO and a wide network of local and international partners. The event is supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the British Council in Vietnam, and Hanoi Grapevine as communication partner.
Photo Hanoi is an international photography biennale, initiated and coordinated by the French Institute in Vietnam since 2021. Held every two years, the event operates under the patronage of the Hanoi People’s Committee. For its 2025 edition, the French Institute in Vietnam and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports are co-organizing Photo Hanoi ’25, with support from UNESCO and a wide network of local and international partners. The biennale aims to position Hanoi as a vibrant and inspiring destination for photography enthusiasts from Vietnam and around the world.
Follow updates on event’s page.
