Heritage Encounters Contemporary Art in Exhibition ‘Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng’
Just before the upcoming Lunar New Year, “Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng” exhibition takes viewers on a journey to explore the beauty of traditional and folk materials re-imagined in contemporary forms. It enhances the essence of contemporary art through a fresh perspective on how heritage can be reinterpreted within modern creative practices.
Vũ Bằng's Nostalgic Longings for Hanoi Teach Us How to Love a Place Deeply
From Thương Nhớ Mười Hai to Miếng Ngon Hà Nội, Vũ Bằng’s way of lacing Hanoian features with melancholic reminiscence always brings me straight back to the embrace of my hometown, even more so after I moved to Saigon at age 19. Since then, my writing and social media posts about Hanoi have often been accompanied by quotes “stolen” from his books: “My spring — the spring of northern Vietnam, Hanoi's spring — is a season of gentle misty rain, cool tender winds, the sound of swallows calling all jade-dark night, distant chèo drum beats from distant hamlets with maidens lovely as poems singing timeless love songs.” This was how Vũ Bằng’s oeuvre made its way to my heart.
The Phenomenal Phonk of Budding Rapper Ci Pi's Fever Dream
Everybody in my university program seems to know Bùi Ngọc Cẩm Phương, though in the music world, she's more popularly known as Ci Pi, a stage name that combines her name’s 2 initials. Be it because of her music or her noticeable Japanese fashion styles, even on campus, Ci Pi’s presence is “vivid” and easy to spot. However, it wasn’t until I knew her personally through a group project that I caught a glimpse of her true self. Despite the edgy appearance with quirky hairstyles and aesthetics, Ci Pi is quiet and calm, and always seems to be immersed in her own world.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
5 Classic Christmas Songs in Vietnamese for Those Craving Nô-en Wistfulness
Christmas celebration in Vietnam is something else altogether.
Composer Hoàng Việt and a Radical Romance Across the North-South Border
In a country fractured by ideology, Hoàng Việt's love for his wife Ngọc Hạnh persisted like a secret melody carried across closed borders by weak radio signals, and letters that had to circle the globe before finding their way home.
The Cultural Depths in Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance ‘129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén’
Have you ever witnessed a live performance so powerful that it still lives in your mind weeks later? “129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén” is not your usual hip-hop breakdance battle, but a contemporary dance performance combining live music with Vietnamese folk elements. It is a journey that requires your full presence and attention to appreciate its fleeting and transformative moments.
New 'Số Đỏ' Movie Announced, Directed by Phan Gia Nhật Linh, Starring MONO
Another classic of Vietnamese literature is heading to the big screen in the near future.
Thi Nguyễn in Loạt Soạt
Revisiting the Delicious Satirical Society of 'Số Đỏ' by Vũ Trọng Phụng
Published in 1938, Dumb Luck , or Số Đỏ , remains one of Vietnam's most popular and controversial novels. Vũ Trọng Phụng was ...
Vietnamese Women’s Revolutionary Roles Depicted In Propaganda Posters
In the context of France-Vietnam Year, the Musée du quai Branly is presenting an installation of Vietnamese propaganda posters exploring the various representations of women in Vietnam from the 1950s ...
Saigoneer Chats With Suboi, Saigon’s Queen of Hip-Hop
Suboi recently returned from a series of successful US shows and wall-to-wall American media coverage. We sat down with Saigon’s “Queen of Hip-Hop” to ask about her experiences in the US, whether...
Hue’s Heritage Threatened By Development, Time
In a recent piece for The New York Times, Edward Wong warns that many of Hue’s World Heritage sites and perhaps its very soul are slowly deteriorating as a result of development and environmental fact...
[Video] Nha Trang Driver Learns Why Lessons Shouldn’t Be Done On City Streets
This video should serve as a friendly reminder that novice drivers should avoid busy streets when trying to up their skills. You probably shouldn’t be driving a fancy Mercedes SUV either...
An Interview With Jazz-Fusion Trio The Drops
Forming in 2008, with Guitarist Frederico Casagrande, saxophonist Christophe Panzani, and percussionist Tom Poor, Casagrande and Panzani sought to continue a previous partnership in a new band. After ...
[Video] Short Film Perfectly Captures Slices of Life in Vietnam
Unlike some of the more pensive Vietnamese travel videos we’ve come across in the past, Oliver Astrologo’s “Reverie of Vietnam” is a short film composed almost entirely of quick and explosive cuts.
New Web Series Highlights Viet Kieu Who Have Found Themselves, Success In Vietnam
“Employed Identity” is a new web series created by Vietnamese American director, Bao Nguyen, for the Center for Asian American Media and PBS.
May Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
There’s a bit of everything in store this month at Saigon’s alternative film venues, from some recently acclaimed independent films and genre classics to the two most talked about documentaries from t...
Vietnamese Artist’s Spin On A Classic Piece Of Propaganda Art
Triet Nho, the artist behind the stop motion banh mi video we posted back in February, has been trying his hand at a different medium – watercolor.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
Vietnam Photo Tips: The Juxtaposition
When taking photos of people in a dynamic environment (and here I am talking specifically about Southeast Asia), it is very important to keep one’s photos as simple as possible. Capturing something to...
Pop Superstar Katy Perry Coming To Saigon Next Month
American pop star, Katy Perry, will be making her way to Saigon next month to attend an event organized by Forbes Vietnam.
7 Incredible 360° Panoramas Of Saigon
These spiraling photos are the work of Hồ Ý, a graphic designer who moved to Saigon in 1999.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
Film Screening: March: Art Walk Presents “Ánh” and “Mùi”
Part of Sao La and Freeland’s community art project, March: Art Walk, aims to bridge the gap between Saigon’s contemporary art scene and the general public. To that end, on March 11, the project scree...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
This Film Beautifully Captures The Daily Life Of Vietnamese
Wander in Vietnam is not your typical Vietnam travel video as this short film’s beauty lies in its simplicity.
Saigoneer’s March Art Picks
Last month was, without a doubt, the most extravagant (artistically speaking) in the past four years; Saigon was a theatre unto itself with a variety of art shows and exhibitions. Here are some of our...
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
Forgotten Vietnamese Communities Come To Life At Sao La
Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai’s latest thought provoking and socially conscious exhibition, Day by Day, is currently on view at Sao La.
[Video] Chinese-Vietnamese Gang War Erupts in Australia
Chinese-Vietnamese relations are still a bit frosty from the oilrig that caused a geopolitical fracas last year, and by the looks of it, this animosity has manifested in the diasporas of these countri...
