Reviving a fading heritage
On the morning of August 8, in Ho Chi Minh City, the "Sac Nam Thau Kinhg" multimedia art exhibition officially opened, carrying the mission of preserving and spreading the value of Southern glass paintings in a new look. The event was organized in the spirit of the Project "Protecting intangible cultural heritage at risk of being lost" of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aiming at the long-term goal: bringing Southern glass paintings closer to the criteria of being recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage.
The project "Southern Beauty Through the Glass" is accompanied by Travellive Media Group as the official Media Sponsor, contributing to spreading the spirit of preserving and promoting Southern cultural heritage to the general public.
On the first day, the exhibition "Male Beauty Through the Glass" attracted many visitors.
For the first time in Ho Chi Minh City, glass painting, a familiar art form in the religious and decorative spaces of Southern families, is told in the language of contemporary art: installation, interactive art, digital art and light projection. These techniques, familiar to young people, help the heritage approach today's public in a close way while still preserving the spirit of the origin.
The exhibition space is designed as a four-step journey: See - Hear - Touch - Feel. Each step is a layer of approach, where viewers not only observe with their eyes but also listen, touch and immerse themselves in the stories behind each painting.
When stained glass tells stories through multiple senses
In the View - Heritage in Glass area, visitors begin with a collection of traditional glass paintings by contemporary artists such as Nguyen Duy Linh and Tran Xuan Duy. The sophisticated and meticulous reverse painting technique on glass is evident in every line. Next to it are creative works, where maximalism or art deco styles are incorporated into glass paintings, combined with manual gilding to create a brilliant, new look. Another highlight is the split glass painting, such as the "Cuu Huyen That To" painting which is divided into many transparent glass panels, allowing viewers to clearly see each stage of the reverse painting.
The Viewing Area attracts many visitors with stories about the glass page told by members of the Organizing Committee.
Leaving the visual space, Listening - Echoes from the Glass takes viewers into the Southern soundscape. Ambient sound combined with lighting effects simulates the color spread on the glass. Traditional musical instruments such as the zither, zither, moon lute, and monochord are placed next to the works, creating a harmony between vision and hearing. In “Sound of Bright Drops”, images of lotus flowers and water drops - symbols of revival - are projected using mapping technology, evoking the new vitality of heritage.
Touch Zone - When heritage comes alive, allowing viewers to interact directly: glass paintings combined with sensor light reflect the visitor's silhouette, projection mapping transforms images according to hand movements, or acrylic paintings combined with light dispersion effects create the feeling of touching a rainbow on the glass.
Glass painting combined with sensor light reflects the silhouette of visitors in the Touch area.
Finally, Cam - A hundred strokes, a glass dream is where young people come together to paint a collective glass painting. Each person has a stroke, all blending into a work that carries the breath of the times. Interspersed with that is a short documentary about the journey of preserving glass paintings and the cultural memories of the South, helping visitors understand more deeply the origin of this material.
Young people behind the glass light
Bui Thi Ngoc Thoa - Project Manager, shared that this is the passion of the group of students from the Western region. They have repeatedly visited the "cradles" of glass painting (old places) such as Lai Thieu (Binh Duong), Cho Moi (An Giang), Long An, met artisans, observed techniques, and listened to the stories of families who still maintain the profession. The group also received the support of cultural researchers such as Huynh Ngoc Trang, glass painting researcher Nguyen Duc Huy, or glass painting artist Tran Van Nhanh to have a more complete view of the heritage.
Thanks to that, the exhibition brings together both ancient works such as “Pheasanthemum” (Cho Lon, 1940-1950) and new creations such as “Mai Lan Cuc Truc” by artist Tran Van Nhanh created in early 2025 in Long An. This combination shows the continuous flow of glass paintings, from the past to the present.
The painting Pheasant in Cho Lon was created in the period 1940-1950
The painting Mai Lan Cuc Truc was created in early 2025
Artisan Nguyen Duc Huy - project consultant - highly appreciated the young people's approach: "Glass painting culture is like a smoldering ember, and the media is the wind that ignites the fire. When modernity and traditional values blend, the heritage can reach both young people familiar with technology and older people who love traditional culture."
Nguyen Phuoc Quy Thanh - creative artist and media ambassador of the project also found a “nostalgic touch” when walking through the four spaces. He believes that, despite the modern display context, the core spirit of the glass paintings is still preserved and fully conveyed.
Glass painting researcher and project consultant Nguyen Duc Huy
Creative artist and project communication ambassador Nguyen Phuoc Quy Thanh
Bui Thien Gia Khang - a project member, played the role of a narrator for visitors, recounting the entire transformation process of the glass painting from the time it was still inlaid with mother-of-pearl by hand, to the stage of using decals to save time, then adding glitter to increase prominence and cover up defects.
Mai Quang Viet (Viet Mai) is in charge of the painting “Cuu Huyen That To” displayed at the end of the “Nhien” room. This work is 1.2 m high, 1.7 m wide, completed in more than two and a half months, consisting of four layers of mica instead of glass to reduce weight. Each layer is responsible for a part: black border, colored paint, red background and mother-of-pearl inlaid letters. Dragon, Unicorn, Turtle, Phoenix and parallel sentences on both sides create depth for the painting, true to the spirit of Western worship paintings.
Bui Thien Gia Khang - project member introduces glass paintings to visitors
The painting "Cuu Huyen That To" was created by Mai Quang Viet, stage name Viet Mai, with the help of his artistic father.
“Southern Colors Through the Glass” is not simply an exhibition. It is an invitation to enter the world of Southern glass paintings with all the senses, to see that the heritage does not stand still but can be revived in modern life. In the midst of urban life, the layers of glass reflect both the past and the present, reminding that culture is only truly lasting when it is touched, felt and continued to be told by today’s generation.
The exhibition is open free of charge from 9am to 8pm, August 8, 9 and 10, 2025, on the 5th floor of Parcmall, 547-549 Ta Quang Buu, Ho Chi Minh City, awaiting those who want to find the colors of memories through a new lens.
