From the archives of Veronika Radulovic:
Nguyễn Minh Thành, Nguyễn Quang Huy, and Trương Tân

Duration: 26.11.2022 — 11.02.2023
Opening hours: Tues-Sat, 11am-6pm
Locations: 

• Sàn Art, Millennium Masteri, B6.17 & B6.16, 132 Ben Van Don, W.6, D.4, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (enter via Nguyen Huu Hao)
• Mơ Art Space, Apricot Hotel, B3, 136, Hang Trong street, District Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam

The exhibited archive revolves around the work of three artists: Trương Tân, Nguyễn Minh Thành and Nguyễn Quang Huy – all widely considered to be pioneers of contemporary art in Vietnam. Their unconventional drawings and paintings, their art performances and installations – the first ever in Vietnam – have made them protagonists of an independent and young art scene that emerged in Hanoi in the early 1990s.

Trương Tân, Nguyễn Minh Thành and Nguyễn Quang Huy were among the first artists in the 1990s Đổi Mới climate who wanted to explore new freedoms and pursue their own artistic path. The tangible spontaneity, shrewdness and boldness of their art was matched by their materials and working methods. They mainly used traditional Vietnamese paper – inexpensive, inconspicuous and easy to transport – brushes and watercolours, hardly anything more.

Yet despite their resounding reputation, most of their actual work largely remains unknown, except for a few iconic pieces and later works. The systematic documentation and conservation of these artefacts of Vietnamese art history – including photographs, advertisements, newspaper cut-outs, performance videos of various lengths, drawings and paintings of every kind, snapshots encapsulating the zeitgeist of this era  – owes  its enduring preservation to Veronika Radulovic, a German artist who lived in Hanoi from 1993 to 2005 and was, at the time, an integral part of this young art scene. Comprising almost 1000 works and photographs, Veronika Radulovic’s archive is the largest collection of this type worldwide and a unique testament to these years of change. 

Exhibition booklet here

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• Curation & texts: Mary Lou David & Vicky
• Coordination: Nguyen Phuong Anh
• Production: Le Nhung
• Promotion & Programme: Nhi Phan & Uyen Dang
• Design: Nathan Collis

This joint exhibition is supported by the Goethe-Institut (Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City).