THE THREAD OF CONNECTION
From 19/08/2022, Vincoms Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA) introduced the exhibition ‘THE THREAD OF CONNECTION”, displaying nearly 80 artworks from 24 young artists, alumni of the Vietnamese Art University under the mentorship of artist-curator Nguyen The Son.
Silk is one of the materials brought into teaching and creation in the artistic development process in Vietnam for almost a century, ever since the Dong Duong college of Art, subsection of Dong Duong University (predecessor to the Vietnamese Art University of today), was established. Many generations of teachers and students have tried to find ways to utilize silk, note-worthy artists such as Nguyễn Phan Chánh, Alix Aymé, Nam Sơn, Lê Văn Đệ, Mai Trung Thứ, Lê Phổ, Lê Thị Lựu,... have together sought out a voice for this traditional material, enriching the flow of Vietnamese art. Along with lacquer, sil on its own have become an artistic material closely linked with the traditional spirit of the Vietnamese people, of the Eastern feelings along with the modern Western aesthetics, creating a material that meets in the middle of traditional and modern.
With ‘The Thread of Connection’, artists again together widen the growth of silks expressions, parallelly showing a personal perspective in their artworks. Artworks aren’t limited to a frame, but can be expressed greatly using lacquer along with a wide range of materials, emboldening the space. ‘The shapes and topics are seen at different perspectives, from the past of vietnamese art following the lịch đại, đồng đại, movement, to representing the culture, the mentality, but at the same time showing ‘the special parts’ in creativity” shares curator Nguyen The Son.
Uniquely, this exhibition has a connection with the silk artists of Phùng Xá, Mỹ Đức, Hà Tây. From the stories told between these artists whom also create the silk themselves, along with these young artists working day and night, experimenting on silk, the viewer will understand more about the creation of the artworks, allowing the artists more satisfaction in researching, connecting with their processes along with the cultural activities of the the traditional village.
