in Music & Arts

Reframing War Memories via the Western-Vietnamese Photographic Perspectives

War photographs, often viewed as windows into the past tragedies, are believed to offer an immediate representation of reality. But what lies beyond the frame? What purpose did these images serve, and who were they meant for?

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

For the Love of Boney M: How a West German Disco Quartet Charmed Vietnam

“You’re gonna make me cry. That’s awesome,” Liz Mitchell exclaimed. Overwhelmed with disbelief, she covered her face and then clutched her black satin dress tightly. It was a rare moment of uplifting musical goodness when the past and the present of Vietnam’s music scene collided.

in Culture

In the Latest Issue of 'No One Magazine,' 15 Stories From Vietnam's Queer Communities

No One Magazine, a print publication about underground queer nightlife around the world, is focusing on Vietnam for its second issue with corresponding launch events in Hanoi and Saigon. 

in Music & Arts

Tranh Kiếng, Southern Vietnam's Glass Painting, Is at Risk of Disappearing

I’ve always loved marveling at the colorful tranh kiếng hung in our altar room whenever I get a chance to visit my mother’s hometown. Since I was little, the paintings have been an indispensable part of my grandparents’ homestead. Tranh kiếng is present everywhere in people’s houses in the town, but I’ve never thought to ask who created unique art pieces that perfectly encapsulate the soul of the southern community.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Sao La, Self, Hmong Identity: The Many Layers of Poetry Collection 'Primordial'

A book of poetry all about sao la?

in Music & Arts

In Huế, ‘Allusive Panorama’ Exhibition Reveals a Tender Side of Hàm Nghi Through His Art

An exhibition offering a rare glimpse into the artistic life of Hàm Nghi, Vietnam's exiled emperor who dedicated his life to art, with brushstrokes and landscapes reflecting his deep longing towards a distant homeland that he could never return to.

in Music & Arts

Lý Trực Sơn Exhibition Invites Us to Marvel at Lacquer, Dó Paper, Earth's Material Beauty

Despite being three distinct elements with their own texture, depth, and presence, lacquer, paper, and earth are all rooted in nature. Rather than searching for hidden meanings, Lý Trực Sơn’s solo exhibition at Vin Gallery invites us to engage with the works instinctively and experience the interplay of pigments, natural elements, and form, shaped by the artist’s innovative process and the passage of time.