Khanh Bui, 'Dollar Man Series', 2009, Digital Print on Kodak Endura Paper, 70 x 45 cm (each)

When was the last time contemporary Vietnamese Art was featured in its entirety in Kuala Lumpur? I am discounting commercial paintings and narratives earmarked for tourists interested in a particular genre. I must confess that I am no expert in Vietnamese contemporary art. Much of twentieth century Vietnamese art I read was related to the historicity of the country. In a way, I was looking forward to what this exhibition had to offer, in terms of contemporary practice. Man, was I blown away.

Nguyen Quang Huy, 'Sisters of Indochina No 29' 2007, Oil on jute, 100 x 200cm

From 8 July until 1 August 2009, VWFA Kuala Lumpur play host to some of the newest works created by Vietnamese artists. Curated by Iola Lenzi, this exhibition showcased 7 artists. They are Tuan Andrew Nguyen (aged 33), Vu Dan Tan (63), Knanh Bui (37), Hoang Duong Cam (35), Phan Thao Nguyen (22), Tran Luong (49) and Nguyen Quang Huy (38). It immediately struck me as a diversified group of artists with a considerable gap in age differences. The discerning viewer is thus able to purview the contextual and conceptual issues addressed by a young artist, mid-career artist and even a senior artist within a single show. It is interesting to note that most were formally trained in the motherland.

Vu Dan Tan, 'Amazon Breast Plate 1-5', 2002, Metal, Variable Dimensions

Exhibition Installation Shot

Khanh Bui, 'Dollar Man Series'

As a new reader of contemporary Vietnamese Art, I am impressed with the versatility of these artists. They work across a broad range of mediums to suit to their artistic needs and projections. We see paintings, performances, photography, video documentations as well as sculptural works. The medium is thus a tool that transmits the message. In this Postmodern era where we can embrace a singular or confluence of styles, these artists embody a diverse set of artistic expressions, according to what they deemed fit. Contemporary Vietnamese Art is indeed alive and vibrant!

Let us look a bit further back in history. Vietnam Art has been considerably influenced and affected by political issues. It was only as recent as 1986, with the doi moi, that Vietnam was open to new concepts of reforms leading to tourism.1 This in turn became a turning point for visual art. The emerging art scene was in a state of flux with the demand of commercial art (tourists) having a causal effect. Such was the impact that some artists in Hanoi discarded the canvas for other mediums of expression. Although the North (Hanoi) and the South (Saigon) diverted in cultural aspects, their ordeal and tribulations during the turbulent years are currently being addressed by contemporary artists. I am inclined to read the term ‘Intersection’ (hereby utilized as the title of the show), as a convergence from Northern and Southern Vietnamese artists to move forward as a united entity by disengaging themselves from the past.2  Art is the language and medium to heal strife and create unity.

Phan Thao Nguye, '4 Animals 4 Poles', 2009, oil on canvas, 174x194cm

Phan Thao Nguye, in front of her work

The past/history is no doubt a powerful topic often used by Vietnamese artists as contextual basis in their works. Such ideas are metaphorically laced in performances to induce the spectators into thinking about the message (Tran Luong). Artists like Tuan Andrew Nguyen coalesced historical with cultural issues in his artistic productions, imbibed as well, with bureaucratic involvement and connotations (the survey). Another who delved into local culture is Khanh Bui, who incorporated societal concerns with commodity. He looked at the multiple layers and impact of modernity on indigenous tradition. Highly engaging, Bui’s works broke the barriers of the private self in performances. In somewhat similar philosophy to Bui’s ‘The man makes rain’ is Huong Duong Cam’s ‘Ideal Fall’, a performative work that indicated the invasion of the foreign on the local system. Huong is also known for his prolific images captured in photography. The senior artist of the group, Vu Dan Tan operated on a conceptual platform. He raised questions on themes like gender and freedom in his works. Nguyen Quang Huy is a trained painter who dealt with issues of gender, identity and nationalist ideology. Nguyen’s work on minority ethnic tribal women deserved special mention for images that incite further questions on sub-urban cultures of contemporary Vietnam. A performer and also a painter, Phan Thao Nguyen is the youngest in the group. Thao’s performances are well-planned creations with disconcerting effects on the viewers. Her work is focused on close interaction with the audience, though less socially inclined when compared to some of her fellow exhibitors of this show.3

Tuan Andrew Nguyen, 'UFOs Sighted Over Ho Chi Mingh City', Viet Nam, 2009, Mixed Media, Variable Dimensions

Highly provoking art works, I urge the viewer to look beyond the performances and paintings. To question the underlying aesthetic and impact of development on a tradition based on social, political and cultural innuendos. The artists are generally concerned with the futuristic state of the motherland. If I may suggest, the concerns that shape the works of the artists may have inevitably overlapped to a certain extend. However, the artists have chosen very individualistic modes of expressing their voices. Alternative media may be the result of a breakaway from commercial art. Oscillating between mediums of expression, the conceptual framework defined the methodology of the artists.

Be it performances, paintings or videos, the interaction with the audience is highly discerning with the fact that the artists are united in a common cause. Contemporary Vietnamese Art is no longer literal or descriptive, but cutting edge works that remind us of the realities in Vietnam today.