In Home
Opening: 03 PM – 07 PM, Sat 28 Feb 2026
Showcase: 07 AM – 07 PM, 01 – 31 Mar 2026
Matca Space for Photography
48 Ngọc Hà, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
From the organizer:
“My hometown has a hydroelectric reservoir. People call it the ‘Lakebed.’ Before becoming the Lakebed, it was a whole forest; the dam altered the very geology of that place. Every dry season, the water recedes completely, exposing the bottom and traces of what once was; trucks can even drive down there. I remember this body of work beginning with the sound of chainsaws echoing deep in the forest, in all that desolation.”
In Home (2020–ongoing), Hải returns to his hometown, “a desolate town nestled beneath the ageing Trường Sơn mountain range”, after spending a period building a life in Saigon. Noticing the gradual transformations in the place where he grew up, he began revisiting familiar sites, recording what remained the same alongside what would soon disappear.
Initially wishing to reflect the local economic and environmental shifts, treating them as material for documentary photography, Hải eventually set that ambition aside, choosing instead to photograph from a position free of the need to prove: without a fixed destination, and without assuming a role too large to bear.
About the photographer
Nguyễn Ngọc Hải began shooting film photography in 2018. He currently works as a freelance wedding photographer and occasionally as a BTS photographer for independent films. His personal projects are centered on people from everyday life, as a means of expressing how he sees and relates to the world. He is largely self-taught, having learned photography through practical experience and short workshops.
About Matca Creation Grant
The Matca Creation Grant is an initiative by Matca that supports photography projects from Vietnam’s local community. The grant provides cash funding, as well as artistic and logistical support, for proposals that involve image-making, writing, and exhibiting photography.
In the 2025 edition, recipient Nguyễn Ngọc Hải develops and showcases an ongoing body of work titled Home (2020–present), with mentorship from artist, curator Trương Quế Chi.
Follow updates on event’s page.
