The proliferation of international art and culture exchanges have breathed life into the Vietnamese art scene and bridged gaps between Vietnam and other countries.

A myriad of such culture and art shows have been organized by international culture agencies in Vietnam’s major cities, particularly Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, on a regular, even weekly, basis in recent years.

According to the combined statistics from the French Institute in Hanoi (L’Espace), British Council, Germany’s Goethe Institut, the Japan Foundation in Vietnam, and the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam, last year saw a total of nearly 300 art performances, film showings, concerts, and exhibitions.

L’Espace held 15 performances and concerts, four exhibits, and 14 exchanges on art, literature, and history.

Meanwhile, the British Council was behind six art performances and fashion shows, and dozens of film screenings in different provinces and cities.

Similarly, the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam last year organized 68 art performances, 14 exhibitions, and 45 film screenings along with three film festivals.

A large number of expats living in Vietnamese cities are also keen to join such events.

A scene from a contemporary play titled "Without Stars" performed by James Cousins in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre

More enthusiastic embrace

Though most cultural exchanges are not heavily publicized, representatives of foreign culture exchange agencies are upbeat over the encouraging signs of notably warmer audience reception.

Unlike in previous years, when there were few members in the audiences, in recent years, local viewers have begun to develop a penchant for such programs and hunt for good events.

The shows, with either free or charged admission, have seen increasing numbers of young audience members, many of whom keep track of upcoming events on the agencies’ Facebook pages, by email alerts or by phone calls.

There are not enough tickets to many shows to go around, though the events last several days or have repeated performances, the representatives added.

Among such fans in Ho Chi Minh City is Tran Quang Hung, who has become a fixture at concerts, dance plays, and film screenings organized regularly by the British Council, Goethe Institut, and L’Espace.

Hung makes sure he will not miss worthy programs by constantly scanning for information via Facebook and the cultural organizations’ websites.

He observed that each of the over 100 programs he has attended has its own uniqueness and offers him a new window on the countries’ diverse cultures.      Hung usually shares information on good shows on Facebook so that his friends can see them too.

Most of his friends are quickly drawn to such events and become a fervent fan just like him.

“It’s really great for Vietnamese audiences to enjoy performances by world-class artists and troupes. Many people have difficulty buying tickets for the artists’ shows in their countries due to the huge number of fans and exorbitant ticket prices,” Hung said.

Just one or two years ago, many locals were still reluctant to buy tickets to such cultural exchange events.

This reluctance has gradually given way to willingness, as the shows or screenings are really good for the money.

Nguyen Thi Hanh, a junior at a university in Hanoi, said she usually buys tickets to events that have the performers or artists coming from European and Asian countries.

“For many Vietnamese audiences, tickets sold for VND100,000-200,000 [US$5-10] are nothing compared to the sheer delight from enjoying internationally renowned artists’ shows,” Hanh added.

Swing Quartet, which is comprised of Belgian, French, and Vietnamese musicians, is seen performing in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Tough selection, organization

Selecting the ‘delicacies’ for these art and cultural feasts is not easy, however.

According to Le Anh Tho, vice director of the British Council in Vietnam, local reception is one of the priorities when it comes to cherry-picking shows to introduce in Vietnam.

The council constantly updates lists of international award-winning artists and hand-picks their shows to make sure the selected programs are representative of contemporary British culture and art and match local enthusiasts’ tastes and needs as well, Tho added.

Likewise, Nicolas Bergeret, head of the Bureau of Culture and Cooperation of France in Ho Chi Minh City, revealed that L’Espace also makes sure to alternate good programs from various genres within a year.

Apart from the artists introduced by French culture institutions in Paris and other countries every year, a number of French artists nominate themselves out of their adoration for Vietnam.

However, technical difficulties also abound.

Park Nark Jong, director of the Korean Cultural Center in Vietnam, revealed many Korean programs cannot be staged in Vietnam as the Southeast Asian country’s organizers have yet to meet their technical requirements.

Few theaters in Vietnam are internationally standard, forcing Korean organizers to hire specialized equipment, which results in considerably higher costs, Park explained.

Tho, from the British Council, added his organization also has to hire special carpets for dance troupes from the U.K.

“It’s a great regret that we have yet to introduce an array of genres or shows that are well loved in European countries to art fans in Vietnam due to technical and expense hurdles,” she noted.

A scene from a contemporary dance play titled “Out of Context for Pina" performed by a Belgian troupe in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

New foreign shows in 2015

This year promises to be a haven for foreign art and culture shows in Vietnam.

The Goethe Institut is poised to organize a wide range of captivating activities and invite more contemporary German artists and troupes to commemorate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Germany this year.

A large hip hop show, scheduled for late March, will gather noted German and Vietnamese artists and choreographers.

Another highlight is a scientific film festival. 

Meanwhile, the British Council is expected to further tap into their strength in contemporary dance and invite more dance troupes from the U.K.

L’Espace’s prominent activities this year include seminars addressing marketing and literary topics which are of interest to young Vietnamese.

Shows featuring popular DJs and singers will also be held.

The French institute also plans to work with BHD, a local film distributor, to popularize recently released French movies.

The film screenings will also feature detailed description of each film and an overview of the French movie industry and culture.

A scene from a contemporary dance play titled "Without Stars," which was performed by British troupe James Cousins in Ho Chi Minh City in October 2014. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Promoting Vietnamese art, culture

In recent times, the above-mentioned foreign art and culture agencies have also made numerous efforts to launch programs to promote Vietnamese art, culture, and artists to the world through shows organized both at home and abroad.

One of their latest efforts is a program called “Tieng Truc Tieng To” (“De bambou et de soie” which can be translated as “Bamboo and Silk), which took place at L’Espace last Saturday.

The show ran twice at the Paris-based Guimet Museum in November last year and was considered quite a success.

It was organized as part of the “Vietnam Year in France” meant to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the Southeast Asian country and the European nation.

Apart from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, these foreign agencies have also staged shows in other cities and provinces including Da Nang and Hue in the central region, Vung Tau in the south, and Thai Nguyen in the north.

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