Hanoi: Interesting cultural events for the weekend

Hanoi Art Connecting

Hanoi Art Connecting is a series of events including workshops and art exhibitions with the participation of more than 100 Vietnamese and international artists from many countries such as Australia, India, Canada, Korea... This is the fifth time the program has been held, and marks its return after two years of the pandemic.

Similar to previous seasons, the event's activities include the creation and display of more than 140 paintings, sculptures, installations, etc. by participating artists. In addition, the special feature of this year's program lies in the focus on promoting young people with new and creative perspectives, along with the accompaniment of senior artists, creating a point of intersection and connection between many generations, coming from many cultures.

In addition to exhibition activities, you can also participate in art seminars or performances with invested content, with the goal of bringing art closer to the public.

• Location: Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA)
• Time: 10:00 - 21:00, from April 9, 2022 to May 9, 2022
• Free admission

IL DESIDERIO - Opera excerpts by Verdi/Puccini

Verdi and Puccini are two of the most beloved opera composers of all time with masterpieces known worldwide such as La Traviata, Rigoletto, La Boheme... The lively yet poignant melodies are the perfect and indispensable elements that create legendary operas.

Il Desiderio is an excerpt from the impressive operas of Verdi and Puccini with the theme of desire, longing, passion and deep emotions in human. The audience will witness the stories and fates of the characters that have made many hearts flutter through the immortal music of the past. This will be an event not to be missed for those who love and want to feel the beauty of Opera right in Hanoi at the beginning of this holiday season.

• Location: Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA)
• Time: 7:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Friday, April 29, 2022
• Free admission

Find Me in the Words - An Exhibition on "Self-Writing"

Find me in the wordsis a special project aimed at minority communities in society such as transgender people, migrants or ethnic people from remote areas.

Over the course of a year, project participants compiled over 50 short and long pieces of writing, 30 paintings and creative objects with themes of life, joy, sadness and reflections on the characters’ ego. Through this, the characters shared and practiced personal expression using written language and images. Meanwhile, viewers gained insight into the minds of individuals in the minority community, thereby developing their own perspectives on the differences and diversity between people in life.

• Location: Manzi Exhibition Space, No. 2 Hang Bun Lane, Nguyen Trung Truc Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
• Time: 18:30, April 28 – 17:00, May 1, 2022
• Free admission

"Moving" exhibition

Inspired by the streets of Hanoi, the movement of people to big cities and the fluctuations of the social distancing period in the context of the pandemic, the exhibitionMoveBringing sketches, notes and paintings by artist Vu Tuan Viet, the exhibition shows the inner transformation of people in the face of life's changes.

A highlight of the exhibitionMoveis the central work designed in the structure of a puzzle game where viewers can interact to create their own version. The works displayed here were all created by artist Vu Tuan Viet during his time working at Toong, combined with paintings from the Hoa Tam collection.

• Location: Toong, 7th floor, 5 Dien Bien Phu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
• Time: 8am - 5pm; April 15 - May 10, 2022
• Free admission

Night Tour: Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

Thang Long Imperial Citadel is a historical site with an age of more than 1,300 years, also a place to preserve many artifacts and archaeological traces of the ancient Imperial Palace period. In order to bring a genuine and attractive historical experience to visitors, Thang Long Imperial Citadel has built a special night tour based on the context and stories of ancient days, thereby conveying the precious cultural and historical values ​​of the nation.

The night tour "Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long" lasts 1.5 hours, starting from Doan Mon Gate leading to the Forbidden City - the king's residence and workplace. After that, visitors can enjoy a royal dance in the historical space, admire ancient artifacts and the antiquity of the citadel, enjoy lotus tea, royal lotus jam and offer incense to commemorate the previous emperors. The final destination of the night tour is the Archaeological Site No. 18 Hoang Dieu, where visitors can play the game Decoding the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long from the knowledge acquired during the tour experience.

• Address: Thang Long Imperial Citadel, 19C Hoang Dieu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi

Phan Cam Thuong Painting Exhibition

Painting on dó paper is an interesting art practice but not an easy one. At the Phan Cẩm Thượng exhibition at The Muse Artspace, you will admire the paintings of 17th-century characters, with costumes and cultural codes behind it. The entire painting is painted on dó paper, allowing the colors to melt and softly blend into the paper material. The compositions in Phan Cẩm Thượng’s paintings are mostly spontaneous and directionless but still create a suitable visual balance.

Painter Phan Cam Thuong is not only a painter with a unique artistic and visual mindset, he is also known as a cultural researcher and art critic. Ancient culture is an attractive topic and greatly influences his artistic perspective. Coming to the Phan Cam Thuong painting exhibition, we can see men and women reflecting the spirit, culture and customs of the Vietnamese people. In particular, to ensure the most complete painting viewing experience, the event limits the number of visitors to 10 people/time.

• Location: The Muse Artspace, 47 Trang Tien, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 9am - 9pm; April 15 - May 9
• Ticket price: 100,000 VND/person

Ha Thu