How did daily life on the battlefield look from the perspective of first-generation Vietnamese photojournalists? Why did colorful stamps and propaganda posters play such a significant role in the war and nation-building? Other than their original roles in communication, these historical artifacts tell us a bigger story: of long, turbulent, and resilient histories, and the birth of a nation.
“Crafting a Message: A Permanent Collection Exhibition” by Dogma Collection features a large collection of posters, photographs, newspapers, and stamps, with a range of mediums and artistic techniques used in Vietnamese socialist and anti-imperial cultural production between 1945 and 1985. Messages of unity, empowerment, and resistance throughout the wartime period and nation-building progress were reflected through selected works of woodcut, paint and photography. Other than showcasing the political campaigns and reflecting social changes at that time, the exhibition also aims to highlight artistic craftsmanship through each historical artifact and work of art.
A glimpse of wartime journalism was revealed through photographs and newspaper clippings by first-generation photojournalists of Vietnam News Agency (VNA), which was founded by Hồ Chí Minh on 15 September 1945. In contrast to the typical tragic images of violence and death from western mass media during the Vietnam War, VNA journalists portrayed a completely different mindset with headlines like “The new spirit of production,” or “The Heroic North Defeating the US on the Transportation Front.” Main subjects in their photographs included trucks running through the Hồ Chí Minh Trail, agricultural laborers and factory workers working hard to reinstate the economy, etc. Despite the lack of resources of camera equipment during the war, journalists still managed to capture the essence of daily life and the unbeatable spirit of the citizens and soldiers.
Moving upstairs, we encounter an impressive stamp collection from 1946 to 1976, which includes detailed research materials and historical background. Flipping through each page, we travel back in time with some of the earliest hand-painted stamps, old over-printed Indochina stamps, stamps that highlight anniversary dates and friendships with other communist countries. The hand-painted stamps are presented together with short bios and autographs of some renowned artists; such as Trần Huy Khánh, Đỗ Việt Tuấn, etc.
According to the curatorial text, most issued stamps were only valid in North Vietnam and only in some parts of the South, which was dominantly occupied by the French. In 1945, the North Vietnamese government issued overprints on remaining stocks of old Indochina stamps, which were not valid in the international postal system because Hồ Chí Minh’s government had no international recognition. However, the act of issuing stamps was a significant move of self-declaration towards independence. The first original design was created by artist Nguyễn Sáng and features a full-face portrait of Hồ Chí Minh. The production of stamps mostly occurred within the country, but some were also occasionally printed by the Litho State Printing Works in Havana, Cuba to highlight the Cuban-North Vietnamese friendship.
Postal stamps are often regarded as a necessity for mail and documents, and sometimes as souvenirs when one travels abroad. Stamps also play an important role as cultural and historical artifacts that represent a country’s identity and values. In the context of Vietnamese history, they also serve propaganda purposes and reflect its changing social and political climate. Other than images of the national leader, other main subjects reflect propaganda images, such as soldiers holding rifles, celebrating the shooting down of American planes, words of encouragement on expelling invaders and unifying the nation, with agricultural and economic development, local specialties and the diversity of ethnic minorities.
Towards the end of the exhibitions, a collection of colorful and lively propaganda posters are on display, featuring some of the most renowned propaganda artists: Sỹ Thiết, Minh Phương and and Dương Ánh (former Indochina College of Fine Arts graduates); Dương Ánh was also a member from the Central Workshop for Propaganda Paintings (established in 1966). Propaganda posters were considered as a powerful weapon that reflected the resilience of the Vietnamese people: from ideas on anti-imperialism and resistance against invaders during wartime, to ideas on collectivity, equality, labor, agricultural and economic reforms in the postwar period.
Despite the shortage of conventional materials during the war; such as paper, colors, canvas and silk, artists still managed to actively create propaganda art with any available materials. Instead of mass printing, most of the posters on display were meticulously hand-painted with watercolor and gouache. A few were wood prints. Artists sometimes reused papers from their drawing classes to create posters, which explained the display of double-sided paintings in the exhibition.
Photojournalism, stamps and propaganda posters transcend their original roles in communication, and highlight the significance of craftsmanship in the construction of social and cultural narratives. The exhibition also serves as the intersection between art and history, and represents a sense of unity, national identity and independence during the transformative period of the nation.
“Crafting a Message: A Permanent Collection Exhibition” is open from 10am–6pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday until January 10, 2025 at Dogma Collection. More information on the exhibition, reservation and public programs can be found here on the Facebook page.
