Perspective of a Vietnamese artist in Paris
By Ian Tee

Trần Trọng Vũ in front of his work ''Blue Country' (2019). Image courtesy of Vin Gallery.

Born in 1964 in Hanoi, Trần Trọng Vũ is the youngest son of the revolutionary poet Trần Dần. After a fallout with the Communist party, his father lived under house arrest for most of his life and was unable to publish writings under his own name. One could connect this family history to the strong sense of language the populate Vũ's work, whether they appear as text or visual symbols. Moving between word and image, the artist's works have an air of mystery around them and this leaves plenty of room for interpretation and poetry.

The title of Vũ's latest solo exhibition 'The Already Seen Never Seen' at Vin Gallery prompts an immediate second glance and possibly multiple re-reads. It sounds like a contradiction, a trick by the artist, or even a grammatical error. What this repetition of the past participle "seen" does is to place the emphasis on the subject: the viewer. The artist says, "There's a Vietnamese catchphrase which reflects society today: 'already know, but keep talking'. However, I want people to question what they think they know or believe to have seen."

Trần Trọng Vũ, 'In a Painting', 2019, mixed media on canvas, 115 x 75 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Vin Gallery.

Trần Trọng Vũ, 'The Already Seen Never Seen', 2019, exhibition installation view featuring paintings and digital prints. Image courtesy of the artist and Vin Gallery.

The show features a range of works from paintings, to vinyl prints and small sculptures, all of which employ strategies of contradiction to elicit deeper reflection. Moments of humour abound, but they also carry a dark undertone. One painting depicts a man sawing through the picture frame as if trying to escape the treachery of imagery. In another work, a figure is pulling a cord that seems to be coming from the back of the canvas. They look like self-conscious characters breaking the fourth wall, though this may be an exercise in futility as the defeated gesture of a small clay figure suggests.

Trần Trọng Vũ, 'The Wall', 2019, air dry clay, 80 x 30 x 30 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Vin Gallery.

Trần Trọng Vũ, 'Under…Standable', 2019, hammer and acrylic paint, 30 x 10 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Vin Gallery.

Vũ posits that the paradoxical and absurd situations present in his works reflect the conflicts in Vietnam's political and cultural life. This is most overtly suggested in a 2019 piece titled 'Under…Standable'. The work is a broken hammer, with the word split into two at the crack. Its metal head sits firmly on the floor, while the handle rests limp against the wall, an anti-monument unable to stand tall. The artist's message may be cryptic but the hammer's symbolism is clear.

In 1989, Vũ went to France after receiving a scholarship from the French government. He eventually sought political asylum and has since lived in Paris. The artist describes his home country as a living memory, "For the first 20 years, life outside of Vietnam helped me to step back and see how the country is configured. Although its appearance has transformed at a staggering rate, the country is intrinsically unchanged."

This perspective is one that Vin Gallery Director Shyevin S'ng, who grew up in Malaysia, appreciates. "His work is quietly pensive yet speaks volumes to those who straddle the cultural borderlines," she says. Shyevin adds that it is this cross-cultural, hybrid perspective that the gallery is drawn to. "With Vietnam's rising economy, many young adults are returning from their studies abroad and mix in an adopted new culture with existing ones at home. Although this journey is common today, Vũ began his much earlier in the 1980s and his generation has a different voice that is fascinating to hear from."

Trần Trọng Vũ, 'The Random Exercise', 2015, oil on oilcloth, 130 x 210 cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Vin Gallery.

The price range for works in 'The Already Seen Never Seen' begin from USD$800 for 'Under…standable' to USD $11,8000 for the large scale oil painting 'The Random Exercise'. Vinyl prints come in three sizes, each with eight editions. They're designed to be installed in-situ and adhered directly onto various surfaces.

Vin Gallery has been actively promoting Vietnamese artists at the international platform through their participation in fairs around the world. In 2019 alone, they have presented works at eight fairs, among which include Volta Basel, Seattle Art Fair, Art Central Hong Kong, Art Taipei and Art021 Shanghai. Shyevin shares that their artists are very well received in places like Taiwan and that they will continue to build on the gallery's brand in the region and towards the West.

However, back at home, the situation is less rosy. As Vũ reflects, "Here, art has long held a weak and inferior position in the collective mind. It has always been associated with the task of serving the masses, as an ornament in traditional festivals or pastimes." The artist is troubled by the exclusion of art and its spiritual significance from the people's busy lives, where money is the foremost concern of most Vietnamese. He sees art's role in society as one which suggests new perspectives and probes critical humanist questions.

Echoing Vũ’s sentiments, Shyevin also considers support of the local government an important factor for the development and promotion of Vietnamese artists. Looking into the future, she expresses, "I personally hope that we can have a Vietnamese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale."

'The Already Seen Never Seen' is on view at Vin Gallery from 4 October 2019 to 8 February 2020.

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