On view: 06.04 – 24.05.2026

Opening hours: 10:00 – 18:00 daily (registration recommended)

Location: VAC Hanoi, 6/44/11 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Hanoi

Registration: https://forms.gle/s6u3uJ6CbFX5sTNt6

Artists: Dang Thuy Anh, AP Nguyen, Koa Pham, Florian Song Nguyen, Ha Ninh Pham, Nghia Dang, Phuong Nguyen, KV Duong, Le Thua Tien, Ha Manh Thang, Ly Truc Son, Nhi Le, Vu Duc Toan, Yang Yang (Yang Tran), Trinh Cam Nhi, Lam Na, Vo Huynh Phu, Nha San Collective

Vietnam Art Collection (VAC) is pleased to present ‘Murmur,’ a group presentation marking the organization’s third anniversary. Curated by independent curator Yang Zi, artist Mai Ta, and VAC Director Sophie Huang, the project brings together works by Vietnamese artists based both locally and across the diaspora, placing them in dialogue with practices that have shaped earlier phases of Vietnamese contemporary art.

Through the simultaneous presence of multiple generations and geographical contexts, the presentation opens up a space for dialogue around the shifting dynamics of artistic practice in Vietnam today.

Murmur: Language, Memory, and Subtle Movements

The title ‘Murmur’ evokes quiet, intimate sounds — subtle movements that are often elusive yet persistently present in both daily life and artistic practice. It also recalls the history of the Vietnamese language, when chữ Nôm was used to record vernacular speech.

In this sense, ‘murmur’ is not only a mode of expression but also a condition: understated, quiet, yet enduring. The project approaches artistic practice through personal impulses, intimate observations, and experiences that resist easy articulation, while situating them within broader cultural and social currents.

“Lucid yet Alone”: A Contemporary Condition

Over the past decades, Vietnam has undergone profound transformations — from the post-war period and the Đổi Mới reforms of 1986 to the rapid urbanization of today. Social structures such as family, kinship, and community, once foundational, are gradually shifting, giving rise to new modes of self-perception and identity.

Within this context, the curators propose the notion of “lucid yet alone” as a way of describing a contemporary condition: a sense of suspension between fading value systems and yet-to-be-formed possibilities. This is not unique to Vietnam, but resonates across societies undergoing accelerated modernization.

Intergenerational Dialogue: Between Continuity and Transition

The project brings together artists across generations, from those long engaged with Vietnam’s artistic and social contexts — such as Ly Truc Son, Ha Manh Thang, Le Thua Tien — to younger artists working both locally and within the diaspora.

Through media including painting, sculpture, video, installation, and performance, these practices create intersections between personal experience and collective history, between established forms of expression and emerging directions.

In this juxtaposition, the project reflects on what it means to experience modernity in Vietnam — for those who remain, those who leave, and those who move between these positions — while opening up comparisons with other cultural contexts.

About the Curators

Yang Zi is an independent curator, art critic, and researcher based in Beijing. His interdisciplinary practice focuses on the relationship between historical perspectives and artistic form. He previously served as Curator and Head of Public Programs at UCCA, one of the leading contemporary art institutions in China, and has realized numerous projects internationally.

Mai Ta is a painter based in Ho Chi Minh City. Her practice focuses on painting and explores the intersections of identity and artistic expression.

Sophie Huang is Director of VAC. Since its founding in 2023, she has played a key role in shaping VAC as a platform connecting Vietnamese art with international contexts.

About VAC

Vietnam Art Collection (VAC) is a non-profit art organization operating across Hanoi, New York, and Shanghai, dedicated to supporting and presenting modern and contemporary Vietnamese art on a global scale.

At VAC, collection-building is understood as a process of community engagement — a site where dialogue is fostered and a healthy ecosystem is cultivated for artists, curators, writers, and cultural practitioners.

VAC’s activities center on research, artist residencies, and public programs, including presentations, workshops, talks, screenings, and fellowships. Its initiatives are developed through three core pillars: ARTIFACT (Archive & Research), LAUNCH (Support & Residency), and the Collection, spanning from Indochina-era masters to contemporary artists.