Admire "Three Thousand Artworks" in a secluded corner of Ninh Binh.

A world containing "Three Thousand Arts"

Located in the heart of Ninh Binh city, yet modestly situated in a tranquil corner away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the Ba Ngàn Art Exhibition House simply embodies serenity and peace.

Despite only being established and operational since early 2022, Ba Ngàn Art has proven its appeal through its reception by many young people and freelance artists, and has garnered attention from those who bridge cultural gaps between generations.

Starting from the imagery of the Three Thousand Worlds in Buddhism, Ba Ngàn Art began with the idea of ​​becoming a venue for exhibiting all human values. This includes culture, art, history, heritage, as well as various aspects of life in the past, present, and future.

The first step...

The exhibition begins with "Ông Ba Mươi" (Mr. Thirty), featuring two familiar faces from Ninh Binh's art scene: Kù Kao Khải and Nguyễn Thanh Túc. Inspired by the Year of the Tiger, the two artists presented a collection of 24 paintings and sculptures of tigers in various styles, materials, and forms, all sharing a common "perspective": they all drew inspiration from the traditional folk belief of the 12 zodiac signs.

Satisfying the need for access to art.

Although museums and exhibitions are not entirely new in Vietnam, until now, exhibitions – especially contemporary art exhibitions – have remained relatively unfamiliar to the majority of the population. Ba Ngàn Art recognizes the audience's need to access art, and notably, most of its exhibitions offer free admission.

Starting with exhibitions preserving national traditions such as "Natural Colors," audiences will rediscover indigenous knowledge, drawing inspiration from plants, flowers, and fruits that have dyed these areas with color. Then, using this dyed color, they will explore the traditional clothing styles of ancient Vietnam, specifically traditional costumes. Ultimately, you will realize that this tradition continues to permeate modern life, passed down through generations, and is passed on through time.

Three Thousand Art has also become a place where the preservation of traditional art intersects with the introduction of new art forms, featuring impressive contemporary art exhibitions with multiple meanings related to "Trash."

With the perfectly reconstructed A-shaped tunnels, Cu Chi tunnels, and handcarts inside the historical exhibition "Memories of War," it expresses the viewpoint of "looking back at the memories of this war so that we do not enter another war."

Despite having only been in operation for nearly a year, Ba Ngàn Art has received attention and support from young people and art enthusiasts.

Anh Duc Huy, a researcher of ancient Vietnamese clothing behind the "Natural Colors" exhibition, shared: "I've noticed that the exhibition has attracted a lot of interest from young people. Especially, some people from far away came to Ninh Binh to participate. And when they visited, everyone was very curious and asked many questions related to dyeing and ancient fabrics. That makes me very happy."

Becoming a tourist attraction with a modest space.

Each theme aims to enhance aesthetic awareness and spiritual well-being. Three Thousand Art has successfully created an attractive tourist destination and is gradually becoming a cultural hub for community bonding.

Ba Ngàn Art, despite its modest space, has demonstrated its flexible exhibition capabilities. Unlike venues that maintain a permanent exhibition area, since its launch in early 2022, Ba Ngàn Art has hosted five art exhibitions in various formats. The entire space is transformed to suit the theme of each exhibition. Furthermore, the flexibility in changing exhibition venues for those requiring special display formats such as installation art, performance art, video art, body art, and multimedia art forms is a way to address the shortage of exhibition and performance space.

In line with the trend of encouraging tourism development in Ninh Binh, the Ba Ngan Art exhibition center has suggested even more ambitious art projects in the future, in a locality that is not a central hub and lacks many catalysts for the development of the art market.

Yen Nhi - Images: Ba Ngan Art - Dong Phong - Vu Tuan Anh