I need to confess that I know little about Vietnamese Art before this post. It is after my visit to the exhibition- Post Doi Moi: Vietnamese Art After the 1990s at the Singapore Art Museum, that I got to know more about this friend of Singapore. For your information, the exhibition has just started on 12 May 08 and will last till 28 Sep 08. It is held mainly in celebration of the 35 years of diplomatic ties between Singapore and Vietnam.

The art pieces are located at the second and third floors of SAM-Galleries 2.7- 2.9 and 3.7-3.8.
And a quick fact before you read further, what does Doi Moi (Đổi mới) means? It stands for “renewal” or “renovation” in Vietnamese and it represents the economic policy changes which are initiated by the Socialists Republic of Vietnam in 1986. Well, I didn’t know about this until I went google.

Hence, this Post Doi Moi exhibition will consist of works that dated from the 1990s till present and is divided into 4 main themes-Individual, Reminiscence, Land & Transformation. To spare you from being overwhelmed by the art pieces, I will cover only the former 2 themes in this post.

Under the theme of Individual, one of the paintings that I liked most is this oil painting called Self-Portrait under the Moonlight by Nguyen Quan in 1992. It reflects the portrayal of self-expression and liberalisation in the changing attitudes of Vietnamese culture.
Hence, the art pieces featured will showcase the impact of a more liberalised Vietnam following the implementation of the Doi Moi policies since 1986.

This is another work under the Individual theme. “Human Objects no 12” by Dang Xuan Hoa, 1992, Oil on Canvas.

For the second theme- Reminiscence, it involves a sense of memory and nostalgia that is present in the modern and contemporary Vietnamese arts. Very often, it harked back to the artists’ childhood days when they are growing up during the tough times of the Vietnam War. Hence, a few of the paintings might reveal some feeling of emptiness and horror.

“Winter in Hanoi” by Pham Luan, 1994, Gouache on paper

“Pushing away the War” by Dao Minh Tri, 1996, Lacquer on board

Stay tuned for Part II for the 2 final themes.

P.S. This is the first ever major exhibition of the Vietnamese contemporary art. So don’t miss the great chance to see the contemporary Vietnamese art pieces.

Details: POST-DOI MOI: VIETNAMESE ART AFTER THE 1990S
Singapore Art Museum
12 May to 28 September 2008
Mon – Sun: 10am – 7pm, Fri: 10am – 9pm
Free admission from 12pm-2pm on weekdays and 6pm-9pm on Fridays