Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

An Exhibition of Artworks and Designs Inspired by Vietnamese Culture in the Last Dynasty of Nguyễn

Sydney, Australia
6-15 September 2019
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Even though the Nguyễn dynasty lasted only 143 years, the imprints it left in Vietnam’s cultural identity is undeniably profound and impactful. To the extent that, sometimes, when thinking of an ancient Vietnam, ample people immediately associate it with the Vietnam of that era. The culture of that time has always been an endless inspiration and abundant resource for artists and designers.

The exhibition “Present From The Past” introduced to Sydney audience the artworks and designs which are inspired by that time as well as the sophisticated and opulent vestiges of the Nguyễn dynasty. With that in mind, the spectators can grasp an overview of what was once so magnificent and elegant and how its essence has seeped into the creativity of Vietnamese young artists nowadays.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
10

Artists

9

Organizations

500

Visitors

5

Days

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Exhibition Content

The exhibits are embedded with the desire and talent of individuals and organizations in using the materials from the sophisticated, dynamic and vibrant culture of Vietnam.

Instead of a Vietnam usually represented through natural scenic landscapes or labor activities, the creators of these exhibits (most of them are in their 20s) choose to paint a magnificent, splendid, and opulent Vietnam with its thousands-of-year sophisticated culture.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

During the entire exhibition, the album “Đường Xa Vạn Dặm” (The Road To Infinity) by the well-known musician/songwriter Quốc Trung has been played to create a unique ambiance as well as bring to our audience a more fulfilling experience.

Lauched as a project by musician Quốc Trung and the Phương Đông band, the album is the first of its kind mixing the Western electronic music with the material from the traditional folk music of Vietnam, such as chèo, xẩm, quan họ, hò Huế, ca trù, etc. The first concert was taken place in Tokyo with the presence of the Japanese prince and princess. Later, Mr. Quốc Trung and the band brought the concert to Vietnam, which made it the very first performance program of world music in the country.

We wholeheartedly believe “The Road To Infinity” is one of its kind and that we couldn’t have found a better album to play in our exhibition. As you might already see, “Present From The Past” is not an exhibition which displays antiques. When we started to plan this event, the aspiration is to present to our audience the way the Vietnamese current artists perceive and channel our cultural roots. There are numerous musical works which took their inspiration from Vietnamese traditional melodies, but “The Road To Infinity” is undoubtedly one of the most novel, high-quality and suitable for an exhibition space.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Meritorious Artist Đinh Linh

Flutist
Performing the opening drum performance, hát văn (literature singing) accompanied by đàn nguyệt (moon lute), bamboo flute solo
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Shimin

Songwriter/ Singer
Performing the song "Tiếng Việt" (Vietnamese Language), poem by Lưu Quang Vũ, music by Nguyễn Lê Tâm
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Camellia Taylor

Singer
Performing the song "Thư Pháp" (Calligraphy) by songwriter Nguyễn Duy Hùng
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Artworks

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Can Tiểu Hy

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

La Quốc Bảo

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Đạt Phan

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Lê Anh Kiệt

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Đăng Thiên

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Võ Huỳnh Phú

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Đinh Hải Yến

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Vũ Đức

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Đoàn Thành Lộc

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Xuân Lam

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Reconstructed Việt Phục

*Việt Phục: Vietnamese ancient costumes

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Great Vietnam 大越南

Great Vietnam is a brand of costumes and accessories for young people, inspired by the Nguyễn court culture.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Ỷ Vân Hiên 倚雲軒

Ỷ Vân Hiên was found with the aspiration to conserve the core values, the unique aesthetic features of Vietnamese culture in the time of globalization.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Pháp Lam Bronze Vases

*Pháp lam is a technique of enameling ceramics on a metal base (gold, silver, copper). At its finest, the products of pháp lam are considered a combination of the ceramic industry with jewelry.

* Actual exhibits at the Present From The Past exhibition

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Bleu De Hue

Blue De Hue is a collective brand of potters, with the mission of preserving and restoring traditional values in this field and the spirit of “Rekindling The Quintessence.”

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Architecture Presentations

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Tản Mạn Kiến Trúc - 散漫建築 - Architecture Excursions

Tản Mạn Kiến Trúc is a project that provides information, analysis and images of the ancient architectural works in Vietnam.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Đại Nội Huế - Imperial City Hue

Đại Nội Huế – Imperial City Huế is a Facebook page dedicated to the architectural works located in the ancient capital of Huế.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Modernized Ancient Costumes

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

V'style - Việt Cổ Phục Cách Tân

V’Style is one of the pioneering fashion brands in the field of modernized clothing with the inspiration from Vietnamese ancient attires.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Đại Việt Fancy

The aspiration behind Đại Việt Fancy is to weave the artistic essence of the Vietnamese ancient patterns and motif onto the modern clothings.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Printing Woodblock

Actual photos of the exhibition's visitors printing with the Ingo Kit blocks

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Ingo Kit

Ingo is a fun and educational do-it-yourself kit that enables children to experience the 500-year-old art of woodblock prints, originating from a Vietnamese village named Đông Hồ. Ingo works with village artisans to provide all materials and instructions necessary for children aged 6-10 to make beautiful prints in a classroom with their teachers or at home with their parents.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Virtual Reality

Actual photos of the exhibition's visitors viewing the 360-degree virtual-reality experience of the animated Điện Thái Hòa (the Supreme Harmony Hall). The Hall is considered the symbol of the Nguyễn monarchy's power.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

JoiKid App

A platform to connect authors/illustrators to create content for children all over the world. Kids will enjoy an exciting new way to read and interact with the 3D books on the Joikid app

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Photobooth with Việt phục

We provided a photo booth decorated in a traditional style with the a set of Quadruple Paintings and a large ceramic vase. The visitors could try on áo tấc (tấc tunic), áo ngũ thân (five-paneled tunic) and Nhật Bình gown as well as other traditional accessories including khăn đóng (turban), mấn, hài shoes, etc.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Monosketch was launched in 2017 with a simple purpose: to bring the works of young Vietnamese artists closer to the public, make them more widely known and appreciated. Monosketch collaborates with young Vietnamese artists, applying copyrighted designs on products to introduce them to the local and foreign communities. You can easily find creative items at the store of Monosketch, such as artsy posters, unique notebooks, adorable postcards or fashion products (t-shirts, tote bag, etc.)

Monosketch is built and developed sustainably in the spirit of supporting artists as well as conveying artistic values ​​to the public in many different forms. Besides feturing their products, Monosketch also regularly organizes exhibitions and talk shows, which are amazing spaces for artists and their audience to discuss and exchange ideas.

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Sponsors

Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Monosketch

Silver Turtle
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Ỷ Vân Hiên 倚雲軒

Bronze Phoenix
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Nguyen Creative

Bronze Phoenix
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Ingo Kit

Bronze Phoenix
Vietnam Centre "Present From The Past" Exhibition in Sydney

Camie Fleur

Bronze Phoenix

PHOTOS

Ngọc Thắng and Đức Hà (at the exhibition "Present From The Past")

In courtesy of the contributors of the exhibition "Present From The Past"

CONTENT

Compiled by Vietnam Centre in courtesy of the contributors of the exhibition "Present From The Past"

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