Vietnam Archives

Deadmau5 Arrives in Saigon as the City’s Electronic Dance Music Scene Expands (via Saigoneer)

Thousands of dancing fans gathered before an enormous digital cube covered in screens displaying memes, video game cutscenes, clips of endorphin-addled cartoon cats and random flashings of screensaver-esque visualizations while synthesizer strings slithered across a thumping bassline punctuated with warped blurts distorted to the point of warbling. This overwhelming performance was all controlled by the […]

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The Curious Case of Hai Phong’s Nude Zodiac Sculptures (via Saigoneer)

An art installation in Hai Phong has become the butt of jokes online. You’ve probably seen them by now on your newsfeed: a set of 12 stone statues, each taking the form of one of Vietnam’s astrological sign animals. While the statues retain the heads of an animal in the local zodiac – from pig

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Mai Khoi, ‘Vietnam’s Lady Gaga’, detained for eight hours in Hanoi after European tour (via SEA Globe)

Vietnamese singer and political activist Mai Khoi was detained for eight hours in a move that Human Rights Watch says points to intensified government efforts to stifle political opposition Vietnamese singer and pro-democracy activist Mai Khoi was detained for eight hours by authorities at Hanoi airport yesterday morning as part of an ongoing government crackdown

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Mekong Review, The Accidental Southeast Asian Literary Journal (via Eksentrika)

Good Southeast Asian literature and its related commentary can be hard to find for some of the people living in this region’s – however, it is possible. One such gem is the Mekong Review, a quarterly literary journal that aims to bring the region’s literary and intellectual life to a broader audience. Publishing fiction, essays, reviews

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Lizo Glennard

The Facetious Gender Politics of Go Lim, Hanoi’s Feminist Post-Punk Quintet (via Saigoneer)

In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women’s Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhi), the lead singer of Go Lim – a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and

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Eva Korinkova

Vietnam’s answer to Pussy Riot furiously dissents (via The Sydney Morning Herald)

Hanoi: Mai Khoi Do Nguyen has long been described as Vietnam’s Lady Gaga. In more recent years, as her political activism has come to the fore, her expressions of rude dissent, she has also been compared to Russia’s infamous protest band, Pussy Riot. Both comparisons hold true, and yet neither do. Mai Khoi is both a serious

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Art, autism and love: the world of Nem

The Asia Europe Foundation’s Culture360 and ArtsEquator present a series of 5 co-commissioned articles that look at arts groups, artists and performances in Southeast Asia that are comprised of or address artists with disabilities. In this fifth and final article in the series, Ha Dao meets with Nem, 11, a prolific young artist in Vietnam with autism,

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Yellow Music (via Mekong Review)

“We arrive at Dan Sinh market in Ho Chi Minh City on a sweltering afternoon. The monsoon season is just starting. After parking our scooters, we dive into the stands, which sell everything from army apparel to fruit and vegetables. A middle-aged man directs us to an antique stall. Immediately I spot discs inside a

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The pioneering queer artists who opened Vietnam to gay culture [Vietnam]

“In an historical decision, Taiwan’s top court has ruled in favour of gay marriage. The May 26 verdict raised the hopes of many LGBT activists throughout the region, especially in China and Vietnam. As is all too common worldwide, homophobia causes suffering in Vietnam, where until 2000 it was illegal for gay couples to live

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From Cuba to Vietnam: “A Present Retrospective”

By Clara Cheong (470 words, 5-minute read) A Present Retrospective, an exhibition showcasing archival prints of propaganda artworks created between 1969 and 1972, by the late and widely renowned Cuban graphic artist René Mederos, is on show at Work Room Four, alongside works by five other established contemporary Vietnamese artists in response to the series. Felix

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Artists, writers urged to promote culture, people development [Vietnam]

“President Tran Dai Quang has asked artists and writers to show stronger performance in implementing the Party and State’s orientations in building literature and art in the new period as well as developing the culture and people of Vietnam to suit the requirements of the country’s sustainable development. The President made the request while addressing

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The cultural sector and the 4Ps [Vietnam]

There is no magic wand that can help the cultural institutions to work smoothly and force the audience to flock to theatres with just one touch. The cultural sector of Vietnam needs decades to mature and develop. The development of a country is measured not only by the number of luxury cars, the skyscrapers, shopping

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Two Vietnamese Film Projects Gain Support from Cannes Festival [Vietnam]

“Two Vietnamese directors — Pham Ngoc Lan with the film project “Culi Never Cries” and Le Bao with “Taste” — are amongst the 16 directors that have made their way to the L’Atelier supporting programme for young filmmakers, organised by the film foundation Cinéfondation of the Cannes Film Festival. The sixteen directors whose projects have

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#not pho your entertainment [Vietnam]

“Over the past year and a half, May Tran (writer, student and professional procrastinator of Vietnamese descent) has been inundated with PR for two professional and sixteen-hundred amateur productions of Miss Saigon. The following piece has been cobbled together from segments of the largely incomprehensible fury essays she wrote during her frequent and violent rage

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I Am Miss Saigon, and I Hate It [Vietnam]

“Growing up, my dad always told me, “Every Vietnamese family has a remarkable story.” I was raised in Orange County, Calif., the home of Disneyland, the Angels baseball team, and Little Saigon—the largest population of Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam. It means that we were surrounded by people who were refugees, veterans, war survivors—people who were forced

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Public Art in Ho Chi Minh City

As a communist country, Vietnam isn’t always the easiest place to find publicly displayed art, especially modern or controversial work. However, the country seems to be changing – and Ho Chi Minh City is leading the way. Here are some of the best places to see public art in the city. Tags: Spaces The Culture Trip

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Supernatural Vietnamese Comic “Gateway to Underworld” Wins International Manga Award

Can Tieu Hy is one of the most prominent young artists in the Vietnamese comic scene, known for her refined drawing techniques and stories with mysterious, supernatural elements. From nearly 300 submissions, hers was one of a total of 14 winners, including one Gold Award and three Silver Award winners, that were chosen following the selection

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75-year-old artist’s murals bring new life to Saigon alleys

The artist could not pursue his dream to take care of his family. But recently he has found his renewed passion for street art. Tags: Murals Street Art

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Vietnamese Comic “Gateway to Underworld” Wins International Manga Award

From nearly 300 submissions, a total of 14 winners, including one Gold Award and three Silver Award winners, were chosen following the selection process carried out by the jury of the award in cooperation with the Association of MANGA Publishers in Japan. This is the second time Vietnamese comics won the award, with the first

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In the Studio: Hà Trí Hiếu

By Đỗ Tường Linh for & Of Other Things Photographs by Nic Shonfeld A cramped maze lies between Khâm Thiên street and the Temple of Literature. Slim houses and makeshift shacks hosting all-you-could-possibly-need shops snuggle up to 1960s style apartment buildings in faded Hanoi yellow. One of these houses Hà Trí Hiếu’s studio.

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An Immigrant’s Experience, Recast As Noir, In ‘Dragonfish’

An Immigrant’s Experience, Recast As Noir, In ‘Dragonfish’ Read More »