The pilot urban railway project of Hanoi city, Nhon - Hanoi station section is not only a modern public transport project, but also a symbol of cultural fusion, demonstrating the strong friendship between Vietnam and France.
The project uses the world's most modern French urban railway technology and regularly holds a key position in high-level exchanges between the two governments. Funded by the French government through the Directorate General of the Treasury (DGT) and the French Development Agency (AFD), with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), the project also demonstrates France's long-term commitment to Hanoi in sustainable urban development.
The public artwork "At Five in the Morning, Hanoi Wakes Up - Il est cinq heures, Hanoi s'éveille" depicts a massive fossilized train car made from 15,000 ceramic pieces.
The work is currently located at the S8 metro station - Cau Giay with the desire to enhance the public transport experience and send a message of environmental protection to each passenger on the green journey. This is a unique artistic highlight, contributing to spreading a profound message about culture and creativity.
The train car model is more than 3.5 m wide, placed on a hexagonal pedestal. The author was inspired by the design of trams in the capital in the early 20th century. He used composite sculpture material, silk-screen printing on mosaic, completing the work in 5 months.
This is not only a modern public transport project, but also a symbol of cultural fusion, demonstrating the friendship between Vietnam and France.
Every detail in the work is a reminder to viewers of the close connection between urban and ecological, of the commitments to environmental protection and green development that Hanoi has been pursuing. Interacting with Thu Le Park near S8 station, a flora and fauna garden in Dong Ho folk paintings, Hang Trong appears vividly on the train body, blending with the landscape of Voi Phuc Temple, one of the Four Towns of Thang Long.
The title of the piece recalls the classic song Il est cinq heures, Paris s'éveille (At five in the morning, Paris wakes up) by Jacques Dutronc, a timeless song about the bustling morning life of Paris.
The fusion of Vietnamese folk paintings with the elegant and sophisticated Toile de Jouy weaving technique of French culture has become the inspiration for artist Xuan Lam to express each meticulous stroke, with the characteristic cross-weaving technique, creating a unique feature for the Vietnamese-French folk garden.
Due to its geographical shape, which resembles a regular hexagon, the map of France is often compared to a hexagon and is even nicknamed "l'Hexagone" (meaning "The Hexagon" in French). Placed in the middle of the transit level of terminal S8, the fossil train seems to stand still in the endless flow of time, carrying within it an invitation to reflect on the harmony between humans and nature, between the past and the present.
Located in the middle of the transit floor of station S8, the fossil train car seems to stand still in the endless flow of time, carrying within it an invitation to reflect on the harmony between humans and nature.
The work “5 a.m., Hanoi wakes up” by artist Nguyen Xuan Lam is a unique artistic highlight, contributing to spreading a profound message about culture and creativity at the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024. With the theme “Creative intersection,” this year’s festival aims to connect the past, present and future through diverse art and design activities. This is the fourth time the festival has been held, and each year, the scale and influence of the event has grown, attracting a large number of creative people, art lovers, and the capital community.
