Germany exhibition to spotlight “the Tale of Kieu” from new angle

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Culture and the Art Foundation of Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt State have held a press conference to introducing an upcoming exhibition featuring the main female character in “Truyen Kieu” (the Tale of Kieu) by the Vietnamese 18th-century great poet Nguyen Du.

The exhibition entitled Das Mädchen K will be open to public from June 3 and last until August 1, with a virtual opening ceremony on June 3.

Inspired by “Truyen Kieu”, German artist Franca Bartholomäi created a series of artworks from wood and paper. With skillful hands and ingenious artistic creativity, Bartholomäi will introduce visitors with constant conflicts around the main female character “Nang K” (Miss K).

The Tale of Kieu by poet Nguyen Du (1766-1820) is regarded as one of Vietnam’s top literary works. Nguyen Du was honoured by UNESCO in 2013 as a cultural figurehead.

The masterpiece has been translated into more than 20 languages and is cherished for its creativity, independent thinking and distillation of Vietnamese culture.

The exhibition, which will feature 24 large-sized wood and paper paintings, is hoped to provide viewers with a new and different perspective on the Tale of Kieu and the identity of Kieu, thus contemplating the role of women in the current world.

Minister of Culture of Saxony-Anhalt Rainer Robra, who is also head of the State Chancellery of Saxony-Anhalt Minister for Europe affairs, said he hopes through the exhibition as well as cooperation across fields between the Saxony-Anhalt State and Vietnamese localities and authorities, cooperation between the two countries will be further promoted in the coming time.

According to Director of the Saxony-Anhalt State Art Foundation Manon Bursian, the exhibition is a major international cooperation project, contributing to promoting cultural exchange and understanding between the two countries’ people.

She also expressed her hope for more artistic cooperation projects in the near future between the Saxony-Anhalt State’s Art Foundation and Vietnam to help the German public understand more about Vietnam’ culture and art.

The exhibition will be jointly organised by the Saxony-Anhalt State Art Foundation and Goethe Hanoi Institute under the sponsor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany./.