平和
和平
평화
ASEAN
22 March 2014
Vietnamese painting in Toronto

Vietnamese painting in Toronto

Toronto's East Gallery has an outstanding exhibition, "The Past is Present", of Vietnamese paintings by Ngo Van Sac. Do yourself a favor, and get down and see it before it closes on 5 May.

Toronto's East Gallery has an outstanding exhibition, "The Past is Present", of paintings by Ngo Van Sac, winner of Vietnam’s 2012 Dogma national portrait competition.

These paintings embody the drama of Vietnam's recent history. In the 1970s, Vietnam emerged victor in its war with America and some other Western countries. Ever since, Vietnam has had an authoritarian government, which is immensely corrupt and guilty of widespread human rights violations.

But Vietnam's government also unleashed a Chinese-style of authoritarian capitalism which has produced very rapid economic development, and poverty reduction.

Today, Vietnam's traditional society finds itself buffeted by the winds of globalization and modernity. There is a deep nostalgia for traditions being lost. And yet the country's rich and complex past continues to influence its present – from politics to arts and everyday life -- even though the nation's youth are dressed in denims, and carrying i-Phones.

These themes find their perfect expression in the paintings of Ngo Van Sac. From colonial images and government-promoted representations of an idealized history to the stories people tell each other in coffee shops, the past is captured, re-imagined and re-contextualized.

Ngo Van Sac explores the theme of temporal overlap from a variety of compelling perspectives. His wood-engravings and –burnings, paintings and collages evocatively capture the paradox of a country rushing to modernize while at the same time holding fast to images of the past. Ancient faces in traditional clothing are juxtaposed with collages of today’s newspaper headlines, while men in a traditional coffee shop are seen chatting idly in front of a wall with graffiti-like advertisements.

This outstanding exhibition is a vivid reminder that the Asian Century has a strong cultural dimension, as well as economic and political. And in many ways, our Western cultures are being greatly influenced by Asia.

In the words of The East Gallery owner, Andrew Fitzgerald, the Asian Century will be very much "bi-directional", a time of cultural exchange and sharing, and above all mutual enrichment.

Do yourself a favor, and get down and see this wonderful exhibition before it closes on 5 May.

"The Past is Present", The East Gallery.

Exhibition Dates: April 4 – May 5, 2013.
Open daily from 9 am to 11 pm

Location:
334 Dundas Street West, Toronto (across from Art Gallery of Ontario)

http://www.theeastgallery.com/the-past-is-present

Author

John West
Executive Director
Asian Century Institute
www.asiancenturyinstitute.com
Tags: asean, vietnam, vietnamese painting, vietnamese society, The East Gallery, Toronto

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