in Music & Arts

New Exhibition on Painter Lưu Công Nhân Is a Trip Through Time

The solo exhibition allows the audience to time travel to the world of the late painter Lưu Công Nhân. From watercolor sketches to large-scale paintings, old documents, and even a typewriter on display, the paintings will take us through different time periods of his artistic career.

in Music & Arts

Minh Thúy, Muse of 'Em Thúy' by Famed Painter Trần Văn Cẩn, Passes Away

Even though both the painting’s creator and muse have left us behind, a part of their life will live on with us in an important relic of Vietnam’s 20th century history.

in Travel

A Merry Morning Over the Fish Markets and Salt Fields of Phan Rang

I live in Đà Lạt, so the most direct route to the coast brings me to Phan Rang, which is where I often go for the beach and seafood.   

in Music & Arts

Traces of Movement, Memory and Heritage in Duo Exhibition 'Entrusting to Emptiness'

An exhibition that brings the audience through the transition between day and night, and movements between dream and memories. There is no beginning and no end, and all elements above somehow reflect the cycle of our existence.

in Music & Arts

In 'Vietnam Retropunk,' a Young Illustrator Dreams of a Cyberpunk Hanoi

To Đặng Thái Tuấn, the talent behind illustration project “Vietnam Retropunk,” whimsical depictions of robots and animatronics sprouting out from everyday objects and activities embody the space in between the ancient and the futuristic.

Paul Christiansen

in Ton-sur-Ton

Easybadwork's Free Spirits Are Rooted in Nature and the Underground

A sparrow swooping across a special-edition can of Coca-Cola, the illustrations featured in the artworks of Ngọt's Grammy...

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

The 1st Vietnamese Song With 1bn Views on YouTube Is About Ducks

It’s not Hoàng Thùy Linh’s catchy dance track ‘See Tình’ or the crossover Mekong Delta hit ‘Con gái miền Tây,’ the first Vietnamese song to amass one billion — or bill-ion, if you will — on YouTube is a children’s song about ducks.

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Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Video: A Little Vietnamese Hip Hop For Your Thursday Morning

Check out this dope cut, Resurrection Cypher Pt.1, from DC, YunoSk, V-Soul, BlackMurder and Pain. The flow is definitely there but our Vietnamese isn't quite good enough to catch the lyrics. If anyon...

in Music & Arts

Event: Pow Annual Graffiti Competion this Sunday

Sunday, 4th August 2013 8:00 - 21:00 Saigon Outcast | 188/1 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền, Quận 2 It has been 6 years since party Reborn, the last Graffiti battle at Saigon. Since then, Graf...

in Music & Arts

Why You Should go to Future Shorts Tonight

Don's miss out on Future Shorts, tonight at Decibel. Our Arts & Culture contributer, Zelda Rudzitsky, caught the first showing last weekend at Snap Cafe. Here's what she though of this month'...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Old Songs and Album Covers from Vietnam's Musical 'Golden Era'

Vietnamese pop music in the 60s and 70s was awesome. Inspired by folk, country and rock & roll, scores of local singers created their own, Vietnamese take on these genres with fantastic results. ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Silk Painting Exhibition at Phương My

From the organizer: ‘PAEONIA DREAM: LE HOANG BICH PHUONG’ is the inaugural exhibition launching ‘San Art Productions x Phuong My’ in Ho Chi Minh City – connecting the local cultural community through...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Event: Thrift Shop @ Saigon Outcast

Saigon Outcast is preparing for another great event, this time with the theme ‘Thrift Shop.’ So this Saturday from 10am – 10pm, be sure to stop by and update your wardrobe!

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Is the Internet Changing Vietnam’s Perception of Sexuality?

Over at Vietmeme, one of our favorite local blogs, Mai Huyen Chi takes a closer look at the recent scandal surrounding the bra-less Facebook sensation, Bà Tưng and how the web is shaping sexual discou...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Video: Foreigners Race Mini Bikes Around Saigon Traffic Circle

Ever wonder what it would look like if two foreigners undertook a 250 lap race around a Saigon traffic circle on 49hp mini bikes and full racing regalia? Do you have 14 minutes to spare? That's rheto...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Future Shorts Returns with 2 Screenings

90 Countries, 325 Cities, 6 Continents, 1,700 screenings – Future Shorts is the world’s largest short film festival. This season’s short films explore the grief; the joy, and the memory of living and ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Beautiful Japanese Rice Paddy Art

The slideshow below features examples of tanbo, a ingenious Japanese style of rice paddy art, popularized by the village of Inakadate. The tradition began in 1993 when the villagers were looking for ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Interview with HCMC MEGA City Organizer - Part 1

Dr. Michael Waibel, along with Hilbert Henning, have launched the TP. Ho Chi Minh - MEGA City project to visually document Saigon’s rapid urban development. The project is currently being assembl...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Beware: The Face-Kini May Come to Vietnam

While the Western World spends huge sums of money on tanning, in the East, things are reversed. Seemingly every cosmetic cream promises to whiten ones skin while many hibernate during the day to avoid...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Famous Japanese Rockers to Play Saigon

Looking to an alternative to the typical Saigon music scene? On Sunday, July 28th, the Onion Cellar will host a night of Japanese-dominated indie, progressive rock and electronic music ranging from si...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Video: What Traditional Vietnamese Music Would Sound Like in English

For many foreigners, Vietnamese is a tough language to master due to its many tones. As hard as it may be for them in daily conversation, understanding music lyrics is a herculean task. So what would...

in Culture

Dutch Lady Versus Vinamilk - A Foreigner and a Local Battle it Out (But Not Really)

Humor doesn't require much knowledge of each other’s language, especially in Vietnam. On a recent sweltering day, I went to a minimart to buy a Coca-Cola just as the store was being supplied. They di...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Dekotora: Japan's Truckin' Subculture

The Japanese really know how to take shit to the next level. Next level brothel? Check! Next level hamburger? Check! Blinged-out transformer trucks? Double check! The pictures in the gallery below sho...

in Music & Arts

Latin Music With Soul

With many options available, it seems that a large number of Vietnamese youth are getting more and more into Latin music - Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton. From Salsa clubs like La Salsa and Xsa...

in Culture

A Vietnamese View of Photography: Artsy vs Trendy

Over the past four years, young Vietnamese have been paying more attention to photography. They’re not only keen on the qualitative aspects but are also eager to learn how to create these images by th...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Emerging Vietnamese Artists at Craig Thomas Gallery

In celebration of Craig Thomas Gallery’s 4th anniversary, the works of 15 young Vietnamese emerging artists will be displayed from June 29 – July 21. Among the artists are Ngo Van Sac, Bui Thanh Tam,...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Amazing Motorbike Choreography by the Rome Police (1953)

Think Saigon motorbike drivers are hardcore? You have no idea. Check out the video below of a 1953 performance of the Rome motorbike police. If Saigon’s traffic is organized chaos, then this is, well...