Le Van Son

The Hanoi Future Art, No. 64, Alley 310, Nghi Tam Road, Hanoi, was full that day. This address has become a popular art centre in recent years where young artists perform contemporary art shows, such as installation, performance art, video art, and body art.

The three artists had three different shows, as well as a common one. Without any explanations,

Christian Falsnaes

Le Van Son industriously ran on the spot. His shadow was on the wall. At the same time a big screen showed his running feet, at a regular pace, which can be compared with a humdrum machine. This video clip was displayed on an arytenoids screen, creating a special effect, like the feet directing to an infinite road.

Running for over 30 minutes in cold air, the artist looked like an athlete. Son tried to express the struggle of humans in modern society. The race cannot stop, but it is tiring, boring

The three artists

Le Nguyen Manh struggled with a big piece of nylon. He seemed to be tied, and choking in the struggle with transparent compulsions. Behind him, the screen had a big fish striving on a piece of glass.

With this performance, Manh’s message was quite clear. After the show, he said: “I wanted to show the dying moments when individuals cannot find a suitable environment. The environment is not only air, but it is much broader.”

The work by Christian Falsnaes looked funny, which helped change the dull atmosphere caused by the two previous shows of Vietnamese artists. Falsnaes stood and sang in front of a 3×4m painting.

The speaker was loud with songs by Modern Talking band. On the screen was the singing Falsnaes in the costume of a pop star on disordered streets. Also in the clip, Manh and Son held a painting (which was shown in the performance) to hide part of the ugly background. The work exposed the ludicrous romantic fashion.

While Vietnamese artists looked at big issues of the human race, a foreign artist lively expressed the contemporary atmosphere in Vietnam. Many audience members, including artists, writers and journalists liked Christian’s approach.

The key show was the common one, when the three artists wore the costumes of street cleaners and a TV set on their heads to dance in the room. On the screen, they performed between rubbish trolleys.

The performance of the three artists proves that Vietnam’s contemporary art is integrating into the world.

VietNamNet/TP