Argentinean comes to talk about art

A painting by Adriana Bustos.

Argentinean artist Adriana Bustos will share her experience and knowledge of methodologies an artist often uses, such as research and production, with a particular focus on how her methods help shift her practice from one media or perspective to another.

Adriana Bustos’ drawing, photography and video engage investigative and documentary research, as clearly shown in the collection ‘Proyecto 4x4’ that looks at the lives of horses that belong to people who recycle cardboard in Argentina. Her method is also portrayed in ‘Anthropology of the Mule’, which draws the parallel stories of commercial colonial routes of trade and the drug trafficking routes in Latin America.

Since 2012, she has been working on a project consisting of a series of maps titled ‘Imago Mundi’. These works have established a methodology of an info-graphic discourse, where images or data have been gathered from archives, fieldwork and interviews, often working in collaboration with involved agents and professionals of relevant interdisciplinary knowledge.

Adriana Bustos was born in Cordoba, Argentina in 1965. She studied at the Figueroa Alcorta School of Fine Art and the Faculty of Psychology at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Currently based in Buenos Aires, Adriana considers her work “a space for knowledge in which the construction of meaning, based on visual instruments and research techniques, can provide knowledge production elements”.

The presentation is free and conducted in both English and Vietnamese.

Bustos will stay in Saigon for one month as part of Prod/Ponder, a 3-year, artist-in-residence program which is initiated by San Art and forms part of a larger artistic project called ‘Conscious Realities’ sponsored by a Network Partnership between the Prince Claus Fund and San Art.

Conscious Realities (2013-2016) seeks to stimulate creative activity in Vietnam by engaging different ideas of contemporary artistic process, consisting of lectures, closed workshops and an artist-in-residency program. Focusing on the shared cultural histories of South East Asia, South Asia, Latin America and Africa, invited artists and intellectual experts on and from this region will engage the divergent reactions to these histories and the lessons to be learned in thinking laterally across these creative communities.

Five local bands compete at Hard Rock Rising

Five local bands will be competing in a series of live battles starting Thursday night at Hard Rock Cafe HCMC in HCMC’s District 1.

The Grand Prize winner will take an all-expenses-paid trip to Rome, Italy to perform at the first Hard Rock Live Rome music festival this summer.

The competition today is part of the Hard Rock Rising’s global battle of the bands contest co-organized by Hard Rock and ReverbNation.

Hard Rock Cafe HCMC will host two preliminary events where local bands Gen, The Arrow, Andre Ngo Trio, Sagometal and Factor 7 will have to show off their talent before a panel of judges comprising local industry experts such as Microwave band leader & composer Tran Ngoc Tung, general director of Yeah1 Production Jay Casee and a sponsor representative.

The first three bands – Factor 7, The Arrow and Gen – will go on stage tonight at 9 p.m. while the other two, Sagometal and Andre Ngo Trio, will compete with the first battle’s runner up on March 20. The final live performance round is set for April 3, also at 9 p.m. The winner will represent Hard Rock Cafe HCMC and compete with other winners from Hard Rock Cafe locations around the world.

After the local winning band is named, they will join other city winners in the global competition where fans will vote on participating Hard Rock Facebook pages to narrow down the 80+ local winners to the top twenty-five bands.

A panel of celebrities and music industry professionals such as Steven Van Zandt and Bonnie McKee will select the Grand Prize winner and two runner-up bands.

The Grand Prize winner will perform at Hard Rock Live Rome, an outdoor music festival that is expected to attract more than 40,000 fans from across Italy, and the selected runner-up bands will each receive new music equipment and gear valued at US$10,000.

For further information, visit www.hardrockcafe.vn.

Hard Rock Cafe HCMC is located at Kumho Asiana Plaza, 39 Le Duan Boulevard, District 1, HCMC.

Lo River shipwreck offers insight into Viet Nam's trading history

A shipwreck dating back to end of 19th century has been removed from the bed of the Lo River in northern province of Tuyen Quang.

The shipwreck and its contents are now being exhibited in a park in downtown Tuyen Quang City, by the provincial museum.

The ship, which measures 41m in length, 8.8m in width and 1.9m height, has a wooden cover and is wrapped with a thin copper layer. The engines inside have not been recovered.

Nearly 500 objects have been salvaged from the wreck, including copper oil lamps, 200kg of coal and lights made in Germany and the UK.

The wreck was discovered in 2012, buried under 3m of gravel and sand in An Khang Commune, Tuyen Quang City.

Experts said the wreck is a rare find in Viet Nam, and will help provide information about the history of shipbuilding and trade between Viet Nam and other countries.

Hue Festival a mix of old and new

The Hue Festival, a biannual cultural event to be held next month, will feature contemporary pop, rock and flamenco music in order to attract young audiences.

"Many audience members feel that the event is for traditional culture and old values. So we're making an effort not to exclude young people," said Huynh Tien Dat, deputy

director of the Hue Festival Centre, which is organising the event.

Bands from many countries, including Britain, France, Germany and Japan, will perform every night during the week-long festival at An Dinh Palace, located on the southern bank of the Perfume River opposite the former Imperial Citadel.

They include Micachu from England, Stoffer and Maskinen from Denmark, Gasandji from Congo and Tararam from Israel. Deep Blue, which performs unique music on violin and violoncello and participated in Australia's Got Talent in 2011, will also be on stage.

Flamenco will be performed by Ha Noi bands Lang Du, Nam Dong Ke and Co La and French songs belted out by Dang Lan.

Dat said a rock show that resembles Rock Storm, a live performance tour around the country by Vietnamese rock bands, would also take place at the event.-

Two pagodas in Bac Ninh recognised as National Special Sites

Dau Pagoda and But Thap Temple in Bac Ninh Province were named National Special Sites on March 15.

Located in Thanh Khuong Commune, Thuan Thanh District, Dau Pagoda was built in the 2nd century CE. It is considered one of the most ancient centres of Vietnamese Buddhism.

But Thap Temple in Dinh To Commune, Thuan Thanh District is famous for its unique architecture from the Le and Nguyen dynasties.

The temple is home to unique statues including a remarkable sculpture depicting Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, with one thousand eyes and one thousand arms, which was recognised as a national treasure in 2012.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said that the honour is a significant landmark that acknowledges and promotes the unique cultural and historical values of Bac Ninh Province.

He urged local authorities and people to preserve and uphold their treasured cultural and historical structures in order to pass down their rich tradition to future generations.

According to Chairman Nguyen Nhan Chien of the provincial People’s Committee, Bac Ninh, the homeland of Quan Ho (love duet) singing, is home to more than 1,500 relics, over 500 folk festivals and 60 traditional craft villages.

Bac Ninh museum exhibits antiques from Ly, Tran dynasties

An exhibition entitled ‘Ly and Tran dynasty cultural heritage and typical antiques in Bac Ninh Province’ is underway at the Bac Ninh Provincial Museum.

The event, which opened on March 14 and runs until March 20, affords visitors an opportunity to contemplate the cultural heritage of the Ly and Tran dynasties, including nearly 2,000 typical antiques that were selected from the collections of 100 researchers and collectors.

Among the antiques are vestiges of building materials and structural foundations that reflect the historical process as well as the country's economic and social development. They are not only a demonstration of ancient culture but are also special works of traditional art in their own right.

The exhibition forms part of the activities held in response to the 2014 Bac Ninh Festival from March 13-17, which includes cultural and athletic activities ranging from a Quan Ho (love duet) singing contest and performances of traditional folk music and dance to a sports festival, an ornamental plant and creature contest and a camp for youth.

Ethnology Museum receives elephant hunting and taming tools

Kham Phet Lao—a Mnong ethnic man from Ea Tu commune, Buon Ma Thuot city, Dak Lak province—has presented more than 20 tools used to hunt and tame wild elephants to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology on March 14.

The tools—made from bamboo, rattan, animal horns, wax and buffalo leather—were also used in ritual practices that took place during the hunt.

The tools belonged to Khun Ju Nop (1828 – 1938) before being passed down to his son-in-law Ama Kong (1910-2012), who captured and tamed 298 elephants during his life

The tools have not been used since 1992, when wild animal hunting was prohibited. Instead, they have been displayed to visitors at the house of Kham Phet Lao, the son of Ama Kong, as a vivid illustration of the role of elephants in the life and culture of the Mnong people and other ethnic minority groups in Dak Lak province and the Central Highlands Region.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Museum Director Vo Quang Trong said it was the first time the museum had received a collection from an ethnic minority donor. He also pledged that the museum would continue its research on the role of elephants in the hope of curating an exhibition for the public in the future.

Thousands flock to Tay Thien Festival

Thousands of visitors and pilgrims flocked to the opening ceremony of the 2013 Tay Thien festival in the northern province Vinh Phuc on March 26 (the fifteenth day of the second lunar month).

A variety of events were staged at the festival, including a palanquin procession, incense offerings at the Thong and Thuong temples, banh chung (square glutinous rice cake) and banh day (round glutinous rice cake) making contests, and performances of Cheo (traditional opera) and Chau Van (spiritual singing).

The festival is held annually to commemorate Mother Lang Thi Tieu, who made great contributions to national construction and defence as well as the country’s peace and prosperity during the era of the Hung Kings.

It also aims to express the Vietnamese people’s gratitude to their ancestors, uphold traditional cultural and ethnic values, and inspire national pride among the younger generations.

YxineFF introduced in France

YxineFF, an international short-film festival, will be held at INALCO University in Paris on March 17-19.

The event is part of a series of events marking Vietnam Year in France including seminars on literature, cinemas and language.

Winner of “Best actor” and “Best film” at YxineFF 2011 and YxineFF 2013, Truong Que Chi, will emcee for the opening of the event.

Hai chu chau (Uncle and Nephew) by Nguyen Dinh Anh, was popularized in YxineFF 2012 and other international film festivals will be screened at the seminar. YxineFF attracted almost 2.5 million views in 2013.

Previously, YxineFF presented six films that won “Best of YxineFF” title at University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

Vietnamese poet receives great reviews

With the decrease of worldwide popularity in poetry publications, Vietnamese poetry has become an iconic modern movement.  Poet Nguyen Phong Viet’s two books Di Qua Thuong Nho (Through Love and Loss) and Tu Yeu den Thuong (To Love and Cherish) received great reviews and gained much popularity.

His poetry collection is a phenomenon in both social network and in publication with thousands of pieces in each book.

I would be lucky to touch readers’ feelings with my poetry, said Viet. Social networking and good marketing has helped the book become popular.

Only a few poets can actually making a living from solely poetry-writing, said Viet. Poetry is traditionally presented as gifts to family and friends rather than a consumer product.

He believes most poets are insufficient at selling their products.

Viet is writing his third book Sinh Ra De Co Don (Born to Lonely) which highlights various topics of life such as loneliness. It will publish Christmas 2014.