Bao Hoa in Art
Vietnamese Designer Pursues Fresh Approach to Making History Known
Self-taught graphic designer Michael Angle is passionate about Vietnam’s history and wants to spread that love to everybody.
Urbanist Hanoi in Art
Revisit the Legend of Hoàn Kiếm via Stunning Illustrations by Artist Rồng Phạm
At the heart of Hanoi is Hồ Hoàn Kiếm with a legend that has been told countless times.
Urbanist Hanoi in Art
Ảo Ảnh: Art Show by Lê Brothers Explores Violence History and Connections
“Ảo Ảnh," or “ Illusion ," an independent exhibition by the artist duo Lê Brothers, will be running at Mơ Art Space from Jul...
Mầm in Quãng 8
MINH Epitomizes a New Generation of Introspective, Worldly Vietnamese Musicians
Dressed in a casual white tee and black jeans, when I met MINH he gleefully opened up about the development that was taking place on his musical path.
Linh in Art
On the Idea of Home: Reflections From Another Covid-19 Summer
I’m writing this to remember another Covid summer. Today, Saigon continues the second round of social distancing.
Oliver Newman in Music
‘Ethernity’: For Tracy Hyde’s Latest Mark in Tokyo’s Iconic Shoegaze Scene
Despite belonging to the Tokyo shoegaze scene, For Tracy Hyde would rather make you look up at the sky in wonder than down at your feet.
Urbanist Hanoi in Art
Chúng Ta Đang Nghịch Gì: Exhibition Explores How the Young Generation Perceives Life
“Chúng ta đang nghịch gì?”, or “What are we tricking?,” a multimedia exhibition currently showcasing at the Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA), presents 125 different artworks by over 100 artists from all over the country.
Bui Thi Bich Lien in Art
Artist Trần Lâm Bình Moves Beyond the Shadow With Lacquer
Trần Lâm Bình’s new experiment with lacquer, sơn mài, offers a refreshing perspective into life during the pandemic, and Vietnamese identity in the context of globalization.
Eric Nguyen in Film & TV
Q&A: An Interview With 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Co-Writer Qui Nguyen
When Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon was released in March, it was a cultural milestone for Southeast Asians. Raya is the first Southeast Asian Disney princess in the Walt Disney Company’s...
Elise Luong in Art
Ahead of the Hanoi Return of 'Les Misérables,' a Talk With Director Trần Ly Ly
Directing the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet with a tender iron fist since 2018, Tran Ly Ly pushes her artists and the company towards a daring new image by revisiting classic works and promot...
Paul Christiansen in Art
The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển
“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”
Urbanist Hanoi in Music
Phởq Sessions Reinvents a DJ’s Habitat in a Mystical Mai Chau Cave
Flexing the creative mind amid idle times.
Mons in Music
In Debut Album 'Gió Thổi Mạnh,' Bluemato Yanks Us Along Their Escapist Journey
With youthful ennui turned energetic wanderlust, Bluemato’s "Gió Thổi Mạnh" album is a much-needed breeze for the underground indie scene of a suffocating Hanoi.
Jennifer Nguyen in Culture
[Photos] A Pre-Tet Wander Around a Holiday-Ready Hanoi
Tet has come and gone, but the memories remain.
Elise Luong in Music
Noise as Material: Hanoi's Soundscapes Revisited
In a study conducted in Hanoi in 2018 by the Institute of Occupational Health and Environment, the average noise on 12 main roads and junctions ranged from a deafening 77.8 - 78.1 decibels (dBA) in th...
Elise Luong in Art
Q&A: Gallery Director Suzanne Lecht on the 'Gang of Five' and Building a House of Arts
Tucked in an alley south of Hai Ba Trung stands Suzanne Lecht’s glorious home, a magical abode crowned with an ancient nhà sàn from Mai Chau. After having lived there for more than 25 years,...
Hung Tran in Music
How LiveSpace, a New Music Initiative, Aims to Nurture Vietnam's Indie Musicians
A new joint initiative towards a more realized musical landscape extends the commitment of some of Vietnam’s key cultural players.
Urbanist Hanoi in Culture
[Video] A Dynamic Visual Ode to Hanoi, a City of Paradoxes
Cái Gốc (The Origin) is the latest release from music producer and video director Robin Marty and his collaborator Jakub Zajac.
Urbanist Hanoi in Culture
[Photos] Bask in the Festive Spirit at Hanoi's Holiday Decoration Street
With Christmas just around the corner, businesses and public places in Hanoi are awash in red and winter-themed paraphernalia. Crowds of young Hanoians flock to Phố Hàng Mã, one of the city’s major kn...
Bex Hughes in Music
Crate-Digging for Audio Gold at the Second Hanoi Records Day
In September of this year, Quan Cam played host to VOC Record’s second Hanoi Records Day. Urbanist Hanoi met with the organizers and collectors to learn more about Vietnam’s growing culture of crate d...
Elise Luong in Art
Meet Little Peanut, the Star of Hanoi's Experimental Puppetry Performances
Some weeks ago, on a fine autumn day, I was lucky to witness Little Peanut taking her first steps in the attic-cum-rehearsal-studio of the Hanoi based experimental theater group Mắt Trần Ensemble.
Ashley Lampard in Art
Vietnam's Art Fondling Epidemic and the Online Vigilante Policing It
There are many clumsy shoe prints beyond the foot-high metal boundary, next to a small sign that screams out in all caps: "PLEASE, DON’T TOUCH THE ARTWORK."
Duong Nguyen in Art
Citizen Earth Program Returns to Hanoi With Art, Culture, Science, and More
Citizen Earth is a Six Space project exploring art, culture, and education through a community lens. The year-long program brings together artists and researchers from various fields such as history, ...
Louis Raymond in Art
Q&A: A History of Fading Colors — An Interview With Artist Quynh Lam
Nguyễn Đức Diễm Quỳnh (otherwise known as Quynh Lam) is a Vietnamese contemporary artist. She was trained early as a painter and was influenced by her family's traditional photography practices which ...
Elise Luong in Art
Culture Lab, a Creative Feast Spanning Disciplines, Media, and Even Physical Borders
In May this year, the Goethe-Institut of Hanoi initiated the project "Xưởng Văn Hoá" (Culture Lab) in an effort to support artists and their community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Urbanist Hanoi in Art
Memories of 1960s Hanoi, as Captured by a German Photographer
Manzi Art Space’s current exhibition “Hanoi 1967–1975” displays the vision of German photographer Thomas Billhardt through documentary imagery taken during his multiple trips to Hanoi from 1967 to 197...
Urbanist Hanoi in Art
Month of Arts Practice Returns to Hanoi With Virtual Lectures, Livestreamed Talks
For its fifth consecutive year, the annual “Month of Arts Practice” (MAP) is currently running from its base in Hanoi with a series of online events and a final exhibition opening on November 21.
Elise Luong in Ton-sur-Ton
'Clothing Is a Language That You Can Write With': An Interview With Kilomet109's Thảo Vũ
As eco-fashion label Kilomet109 prepares for the launch of the latest collection “Miên” this month, designer Thảo Vũ sits down with Urbanist Hanoi to share the label’s awkward beginnings and what the ...
