Vietnam art plagued by haphazard, low quality exhibits

The majority of Vietnam’s exhibits are lacking in quality and creativity, which worsens the already stagnant local art scene, local experts have observed.

In recent years, many artists, particularly young ones, have launched more exhibits, but their quality remains questionable.

One of the reasons behind the boom in exhibits of paintings is the low cost, as organizing an exhibit costs only about VND10 million (US$471), including venue rental and reception, a local artist explained.

Photo exhibitions cost more, however, as it is expensive to develop photos.

According to Ho Huu Thu, a veteran artist, local artists, especially those who are young, try to showcase as many of their paintings as possible, even though they are often poor-quality and feature clichéd topics.

They can jointly hold collective exhibits with some of their colleagues, leaving the exhibitions lacking in coherence and quality.

Thu added that many paintings are thus showcased at multiple exhibits, which are repetitive and boring.

Young artists largely consider exhibits to be a means to gain fame, or mingle with their colleagues.

The poor quality of many exhibits is partly to blame for the limited number of visitors.

Most exhibitions are crowded on the inauguration day, as the artists’ friends, colleagues and relatives attend on their invitations. But few visitors go on the other days.

Meanwhile, artist Luong Xuan Doan, a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, also agreed that though art exhibits are held on a weekly basis in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the country’s two major art hubs, the quality remains mixed.

The exhibits lack appeal even to foreigners, who are usually enthusiastic about paintings, Doan added.

Vo Xuan Huy, a lecturer at the College of Arts under Hue University located in the central city of Hue, also put exhibits’ poor quality down to inadequate exhibition halls.

Dang Hai Son, owner of HCMC-based Tu Do Gallery, shared that exhibitions these days are aimed mostly at introducing artists’ works, instead of selling them.

Established artists are thus reluctant to hold exhibitions, where their paintings do not sell as well as elsewhere.

Artist Doan also pointed out young artists’ inadequate background in culture and life experience, which results in shallow, repetitive works.

Rampant fake paintings, especially of eminent Vietnamese artists including Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Gia Tri, are also a major deterrent to art enthusiasts, he noted.

Doan also pointed to inadequate art education in schools, even in kindergarten, to nurture aesthetic appreciation among kids.

“Public response and interest are among the factors that make or mar the local art scene,” he concluded.

However, he acknowledged the presence of a few reputable galleries in Ho Chi Minh City, including Quynh Galerie, Craig Thomas Gallery, and San Art.

Run by expats or overseas Vietnamese, these galleries operate professionally and hold quality exhibits.

A lack of quality paintings is why Vietnam’s art still lags behind other Asian countries at international art markets and fairs.

Though Vietnamese galleries and artists have stepped up efforts to penetrate international art markets in recent years, the country’s art still fetches considerably lower prices when compared to other Southeast Asian works.

Such markets as the Singapore Art Fair, Art Expo Malaysia, Art Basel Hong Kong, and the Singapore Affordable Art Fair – one of Singapore’s two largest of its kind – have brought together artists and gallery owners from around the world.

Despite these tremendous efforts, Vietnamese paintings still fetch notably lower prices than those created by Singaporean, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Myanmarese artists.

At Singapore’s Larasati auction on August 24, works by reputable Vietnamese artists, including Bui Huu Hung, Do Quang Em, Limkhim Katy, Dang Xuan Hoa, and Nguyen Tan Cuong, fetched a mere S$1,464-4,270 (up to US$3,378).

At the Masterpiece auction in the city-state on the same day, three oil paintings by Bui Xuan Phai, one of Vietnam’s most eminent artists, were sold for only S$3,000-10,000 ($2,374-7,911).

In the meantime, many Indonesian collectors tend to inflate the prices of Indonesian paintings, so many contemporary artists have artwork priced over S$100,000 ($79,117).

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