A new perspective on Saigon through the Urban Layers street art exhibition.

The Urban Layers exhibition is a collaboration between Wabi-Sabi Creative and the Wallovers group of artists. The works are created by the Wallovers group, including three main artists: Zkhoa (Trang Nhơn Khoa), Cresk (Nguyễn Tấn Lực), and Daes (Lưu Đoàn Duy Linh). The exhibition focuses on the story of Saigon's streets, but told through the artistic language from the perspective of contemporary young people. In addition to the core members, Deska (Phạm Thành Nguyên) also participated in some works as a guest artist.

By utilizing graffiti—a form of street art—in combination with technology, Wallovers affirms its desire to continuously innovate artistic materials, aiming to create a new artistic space. This is also considered a new transformation in art.

Speaking about the exhibition, the group of artists affirmed that they "don't want to confine themselves to a broad perspective but want to focus more on their own experiences, thereby connecting with and representing what they truly feel." While Zkhoa sees the most authentic aspects of the materialistic race and the struggle for survival, Cresk chooses themes revolving around the image of women, thereby questioning the concept of femininity in the community. In addition, Cresk also incorporates elements reflecting the religious tendencies of the Vietnamese people into his works. Meanwhile, Daes's works help viewers see the city through the lens of culture, such as the images of lions, dragons, and unicorns, but in a new contemporary appearance.

The exhibition space recreates social realities while simultaneously positing a utopian world that blends old values ​​with the development of a digital future. The stratification within the exhibition aims to create distinct perceptions within the specific cultural perspectives of each artist, thereby, through the contrast between reality and development, creating a transformative vision of the future in the eyes of young people. Wallovers has applied the technique of segmentation, layering, and dissecting urban elements to tell their personalized stories.

"Urban Layers aims to offer a fresh perspective through familiarity, allowing you to broaden the conversation and discover other potentials of street art, regardless of your viewpoint," the artists further shared.

This is a series of events including a physical exhibition, followed by online viewing and finally a 3D exhibition. The physical exhibition will take place from November 2nd to November 12th, 2021 at 62 Tran Hung Dao Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Huyen Chau - Photo: Wabi-Sabi Creative