Three photo series in one exhibition "May"

Photography has always been an art form that creates ample space for imagination, exploration, and emotion. "May" signifies the month of May, the vibrant summer season, the fiery red blossoms of the flamboyant tree, and the buzzing of cicadas. Amidst these sounds, to refresh and soothe your soul, the May exhibition by Noirfoto was created.

The May exhibition showcases 44 diverse photographic artworks, unique in technique and filled with rich stories and emotions, from five photographers: Pham Tuan Ngoc, Truong Cao Hoang, Nguyen Thanh Dung, Tom Hricko (USA), and Couderc Jean-françois (France).

The May exhibition, created by Noirfoto, is taking place within the framework of Photo Hanoi'23 - the first international photography biennial in Vietnam, initiated by the French Institute in Vietnam and sponsored by the Hanoi People's Committee. Each series of photographs in the exhibition takes viewers through different emotional states, showcasing both contrast and harmony in nature. Specifically, the three series of photographs in the May exhibition are: Silver Lining, Light of Illusion, and Eternal Flow.

With three diverse photo collections, unique in technique and telling many emotional stories, yet all aiming towards a common goal: to celebrate photography as a distinctive, interesting, and highly potential art form for exploration and creativity.

Speaking to Travellive, photographer Truong Cao Hoang said: "Nature remains the dominant theme in the photographs. Some works may appear desolate at first glance, but they possess a life of their own, sometimes creating something surreal and abstract."

Silver Lining is a series of black-and-white photographs on silver gelatin, shot on film by the team of artists and developed manually in Noirfoto's darkroom. Silver Lining is symbolic, implying the connection between photographers, manual developing experts, and photography enthusiasts, as well as optimism that the art of handcrafted photography will continue to thrive with its inherent aesthetic values.

Over 20 works from 5 artists in the Silver Lining series, all shot in black and white, manually developed, and telling different stories about nature with its gentle yet timeless beauty. Consistent in their medium, the works, encompassing a range of emotions, are presented to the audience like a harmonious symphony, providing a smooth and continuous experience with a unique visual beauty in the age of digital photography.

Light of Illusion is a series of works by Tom Hricko, featuring color dots printed on photographic paper. It includes works created over many years, spanning from the ancient city of Hue, the beaches of Vung Tau, and the suburbs of New Haven, USA, by American art photographer and educator Tom Hricko. He loves Vietnam and has lived and worked there since 1994. With over 40 years of experience in art photography, Tom Hricko proudly presents this unique collection at the May exhibition.

After 40 years of practicing artistic photography, Tom Hricko shares his lifelong perspective: “Photography is a process that allows me to extract an image from accepted or accepted reality and transform that image into an embodiment of another, perhaps parallel, reality. Aspects of the photographic process that enable this are optical applications and manipulations, light, filters, color, tonality, paper or other supporting conditions, and size, among other unlisted variables. The result is a physical object that gives us the opportunity to glimpse a new and separate reality.”

Eternal Flow is a series of works by Pham Tuan Ngoc, created using the traditional Vietnamese technique of cyanotype printing on silk. It depicts different forms of water to tell the story of the earth's most fundamental, ancient, and important element, as well as the story of love.

Cyanotype and silk both harmonize with water. Cyanotype not only resembles water in its blue color, but the images created with this material are also formed in water. And although in painting, silk is primarily stretched on a frame to become "stiff" and static, the silk in these works is treated to be thin, light, soft, smooth, delicate, flexible, and "free" like water.

"Other works often focus on 'What,' but this exhibition focuses on 'How' and understanding 'Why.' Some people only care about photographing the content, but art photography doesn't photograph content; it expresses ideas. When you create a work of art, it evokes many different emotions," said photographer Pham Tuan Ngoc.

Through the May exhibition, Noirfoto hopes to bring new emotions to the photography-loving community, while affirming the role and classic aesthetic value of art photography and handcrafted photography in the digital age. Within the framework of the May exhibition program, Noirfoto also offers other interesting photography events for the art-loving community such as: Panel discussions, Artist talks, Cyanotype Workshop, Photowalk, Workshop...

The May exhibition, open to the public, will take place at Hanoi Studio Gallery, 23-25 ​​Mac Dinh Chi Street, Truc Bach Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, from May 7th to May 21st, 2023.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Text and photos: Phuong Thao