Top 10 fine arts and photography events of 2018

A contemporary art space was inaugurated in the basement of the National Assembly House in November

1. The exhibition on silk paintings and small sculptures.

The exhibition, opened in Ha Noi, displayed more than 110 silk paintings and 93 small-sized sculptures.

The exhibits were created by 24 painters and 21 sculptors across country, those of the generations born in the 1970s until recently.

2. Former Indochina Fine Arts College’s first female graduate work displayed

Receiving and hosting an exhibition of works by female painter Le Thi Luu, the first Vietnamese woman to graduate from Indochina Fine Arts College (now Hanoi Fine Arts University), at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum.

All paintings, which were created from 1940 to 1988 when she lived and worked in France, were donated to the museum by Tan, Luu’s nephew Le Tat Luyen and his wife Thuy Khue in Paris this year.

3. The international fine arts exchange and exhibition “Ha Noi March Connecting”.

120 artists from Viet Nam and 18 other countries and territories took part in a series of art events as part of Ha Noi March Connecting 2018, which was held in Ha Noi Asia Art Link and the Hanoi University of Industrial Fine Arts.

4. Caricature contest responds to fight anti - corruption

A caricature exhibition themed “Preventing and combating corruption” was organised at the Viet Nam Women’s Museum.

The 158 works on display were selected from nearly 520 entries sent to the contest of the same name, which was launched in June by the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition for both professional and amateur cartoonists.

5. Series of event spotlight ‘Nghe’ - Vietnamese traditional sacred animal

A series of events to promote Nghe – a sacred animal that guards temples and communal houses.

The events aim to promote the unique features of the traditional art of Vietnam that has been preserved in the community for centuries. It also aims to raise awareness of the sacred symbol while comparing it with other sacred animals from China, Japan and Korea – countries with similar culture and religion to Viet Nam.

6. Art space inaugurated inside National Assembly House

A contemporary art space was inaugurated in the basement of the National Assembly House in November, displaying 15 art works of 15 contemporary artists.

The artworks feature the artists’ viewpoints on the country’s cultural, architectural and art values set in the national long-standing history.

7. First-ever nude photo exhibition opens in Ha Noi

A nude photo exhibition opened for public in Ha Noi, marking the first-ever event of its kind to be hosted by a State-run agency, namely the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition.

The exhibition, showcasing 52 artworks by 10 photographers, was designed to untie the knot of social prejudice against nude photographers and nude photography.

8. The photo exhibition and contest on Viet Nam’s sea and islands 2018.

Roughly 5,300 single photos and photo collections from 900 authors across the nation were sent to a contest on the theme of the homeland’s seas and islands.

Over 200 high quality art works were exhibited at Ha Noi’s Temple of Literature, giving viewers a deep impression of the beautiful landscape, the beauty of the inhabitants, and the silent sacrifice of soldiers in protecting the country’s sovereignty.

9. The conference on Dang Huy Tru – the first Vietnamese to introduce photography to Viet Nam.

A seminar was held in Thua Thien – Hue province in March to honour the father of Vietnamese photography Dang Huy Tru (1825-1874), who introduced photography to Viet Nam some 150 years ago.

Speeches presented by researchers and members of Dang’s family at the seminar shed light on the life and career of Dang Huy Tru as well as his contributions to the establishment and development of the country’s photography.

10. Exhibition honours Ho Chi Minh and State Awards winners

The exhibition featuring fine art and photography works of artists honoured with Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize in literature and arts.

Dozens of works of art and literature by 13 artists, photographers and writers, who were winners of the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize in 2016, were on display in Ha Noi.

 By Vien Nhu