Visitors at the "Dau xua van hien" exhibition (Photo: VNA) The Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts and the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam Culture and Science Centrehave collaborated to present this art exhibition, which features 19 works byeight artists who express Vietnamese cultural values in new and innovative waysthrough a wide range of compositional approaches, stylistic choices, andmediums.
An interactive pair of paintings by Vu Xuan Dong titled "Co Thu"(Ancient Book) is made of bronze and lacquer.
By laying out the artwork like an open book, viewers are inspired to think backon cultural touchstones important to the Vietnamese people, such as buildings,sculptures, festivals, river life, and ancient patterns.
Dong explained that the inspiration for the piece came from the idea of anancient book that told stories from the past.
“My work is divided into curved boxes because those are pieces of memory,"he described.
"And when people rotate these pieces of boxes, it will be like a river ofculture, because on those boxes are the village gates, ancient boats, scenes ofstudy and exams in the past, and the architecture of the front hall of theTemple of Literature," he said.
Three other extraordinary works by Nguyen Duc Hung, created with iron and smokeon traditional do paper, provide rich and diverse aesthetic effects and opennumerous bold and distinct ideas to viewers about the world.
Woodcarvings by Pham Hung Anh titled "Bong nuoc" (Water Reflections)are also on display at the exhibition, offering a unique and personal take onthe area of Khue Van Cac.
According to Tran Thi Van Anh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi's Department ofCulture and Sports, the city is the place where the country's cultural valuesare solidified, connected with studious piety and Vietnam's first university(Quoc Tu Giam).
She believes that all of these fundamental ideals have become a greatinspiration for artists who aspire to create works that breathe the breath ofcontemporary life while still bearing the imprints of the past.
It is also a trend that the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam is aiming for, becoming acentre of cultural activities, a creative space of Hanoi city, a location topreserve and commemorate the country's cultural heritages in the mostinnovative and distinctive way, Anh noted.
Le Xuan Kieu, director of the Van Mieu–Quoc Tu Giam Culture and Science Centre,the goal of the exhibition was to help the community, especially the youngergeneration, become more aware of the importance of preserving and promotingtraditional cultural values through exposure to contemporary works of art thatare composed on the basis of traditional culture.
Kieu said: "Dau xua van hien, together with numerous other exhibitions anddisplays held at the Temple of Literature, will breathe new life into the relicsite.
"That is the finest way to promote the significance of the monument,foster love and respect for the unique heritage that our forefathers have leftus, and also demonstrate contemporary duty for future generations in continuingto add contemporary values to the country's cultural sedimentation."
The exhibition is open daily, until the end of February 5, 2023./.
VNA
