Talk: How Vietnamese Artists Approach the International Art Scene

Guests speakers: Artist Uu Dam Tran Nguyen, Curator Do Tuong Linh, VAC Director Sophie Huang

Organized by Hanoi Grapevine

Hosted by VAC Hanoi

Time: October 22, 2023, Sunday, 14:00 - 17:00

Location: 1/11 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Hanoi

Register Link

On the way to reaching out to the world, what opportunities and challenges are Vietnamese artists facing, and how should they prepare their "baggage" regarding information, knowledge, and understanding of the mechanisms? Due to the limited information exchange between the Vietnamese art scene and the international community, Hanoi Grapevine invites VAC to collaborate on this talk, titled “How Vietnamese Artists Approach the International Art Scene".

Through the lens and experience of guest speakers, including artist Nguyen Tran Uu Dam, curator Do Tuong Linh, and Sophie Huang, VAC Director of Art & Research, participants will have a better picture of how Vietnamese artists work within a global context.

The talk hopes to provide practical and useful information and understanding so that participants, especially young artists, can have a clearer picture of the market's scene, movement, and exchange mechanism. How could Vietnamese artists approach and participate in the international market proactively, effectively, and sustainably, adapting to changes in the world?

Guest Speakers:

Do Tuong Linh is a researcher/curator currently living and working at the Asian Cultural Council, New York, USA. Tuong Linh graduated with a bachelor's degree in the Department of Art Theory, History & Criticism at Vietnam University of Fine Arts, and received an Alphawood scholarship for the Master's program in the Department of Contemporary Art & Asian-African Art Theory at the University of London SOAS. Tuong Linh is the representative of Vietnam participating in many prestigious international cultural and artistic programs such as Berlin Biennale 2022 (Germany); Ljubljana Graphic Art Biennial 2019 (Slovenia); Workshop of the Association of Curators of Art Museums, (New York, USA); Mekong Cultural Center 2018 – 2019 (Taiwan); CIMAM International Museum Workshop 2018 (Oslo, Norway); Asian Cultural Center 2018 (Gwangju, Korea); Tate Intensive 2018 at Tate Modern Museum (UK); and French Encounter at Art Basel 2018 (Hong Kong).

Nguyen Tran Uu Dam is a Vietnamese visual artist, currently living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. He studied sculpture at Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts until 1994. He then received bachelor's and master's degrees at UCLA and the School of Visual Arts, Visual Arts department. Uu Dam has attended many international exhibitions and lectures at: 4th Singapore Biennale, Asia Society Museum (New York), RISD Museum (USA), Kadist Art (San Francisco), White Exhibition Space Chapel (UK), Jewish Museum (New York), Bildmuseet (Sweden), Jim Thompson Center for the Arts (Thailand), 8th Asia Pacific Triennial (Australia), QGOMA (Australia), District Museum Cam OCMA (California)... and won many awards for his works.

Sophie Huang has been a strong advocate for cross-cultural initiatives for the past decade. With a master’s degree in Art History from the Institute of Fine Art, New York University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Shanghai Academy of Art, Sophie sees art and history as inseparable parts of life. Her approach as an art researcher has driven her to encourage development by building an archive of Vietnamese art. This foundation has enabled VAC to see the big picture and develop programs that support emerging artists. As a curator and writer, Sophie has held senior positions at contemporary art galleries in New York and Shanghai and is committed to her role at VAC, helping to facilitate and promote cross-cultural dialogue.