An old housing block dating back to the 19th century has become a familiar destination for art fans during the last four months because it has been turned into a contemporary art complex.
Located at the end of the 3A alley on Ton Duc Thang Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, the roughly 2,000-square meter 3A Station art complex is the effort of Tuyet Mai, the owner of Mai’s Gallery in the area, and her friends who worked with the woman to create the space.
According to Mai, the idea of turning an old area into a place of art has been known in many big cities around the world.
“At first we just wanted to bring fine art closer to the public because the art is usually favored by a limited number of people. Merely an art space is not attractive enough to be a magnet for the public, so it must be a place where art can be applied into life,” Mai shared.
“To make art closer to more and more people, we needed to have other space for cafés, shops, and booths. After we inaugurated this place in April, we have seen a strong change and received a lot of positive responses from visitors,” she added.
The pedestrian zone 3A Station is a complex featuring a combination of exhibition space, studios, clothing shops, handicraft stores, pottery shops, and cafés.
Sa Dec District is a famous pottery shop in the area. The shop is the effort of a group of photographers, journalists, and stylists who cherish the dream of promoting Vietnamese handicrafts around the world. Products of the shop are inspired by the characteristics of the Mekong Delta as well as feature images of Vietnam and its people’s lifestyles.
Another special shop is Cushion-Art, a furnishings and accessories shop of Australian Selene Alcock who used to be a filmmaker. She is now the creator of pillows featuring images of Vietnam like lotus flowers, incense, and Ha Long Bay.
Talking with Tuoi Tre News, Mai explained the name of the area, saying 3A means “Alternative Art Area” where she and other creators offer artists booths to hire, a place for them to spark their creativity. Booth owners are given spaces painted with the three main colors – black or white or grey – to decorate the way they like. The mix of styles has made the area a colorful place, breathing new fresh air into the previously dilapidated area.
Calling her place a “free zone,” Mai said 3A Station aims to honor artists’ creativity as much as possible because almost all of the people working at 3A Station have backgrounds in the field of art and they come to the complex to find a place to shine with their creativity.
“People working at 3A Station are proud of themselves and what they have done to change the place with their imagination. That’s also our target, to offer artists a place to shine without any limitations,” she said.
One of the highlights of the area which attracts a lot of visitors, especially young people, is huge graffiti walls that guests can use as cool backgrounds when posing for their photos without payment.
Besides indoor activities, the place has also hosted other outdoor events like painting, concerts, and flea markets which have attracted many Ho Chi Minh City residents and tourists alike.
Mai said she and her team are trying to attract more and more people with more meaningful and better events aimed at delivering messages of art to people, as well as helping them understand more about contemporary art.
Tuoi Tre News‘ videoof 3A Station
Dilapidated area turns into contemporary art space in Vietnam megacity (video) Releated Image(s)
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