Artist Pham Ha Hai: Vietnam's Art Needs to Go International on a Large Scale

Artist Pham Ha Hai, born in 1974 in Hanoi, comes from a family with most of its members engaged in the field of painting. He has received numerous awards, including second prize at the 1997 Fine Arts Student Exhibition, the encouragement award at the "Young Gaze" competition in 2002, the bronze medal at the Vietnam Fine Arts Exhibition in 2015, and first prize at the "Folklore on Tet Stamp" competition in 2017. He recently had a conversation with the People's Army Weekend Newspaper about the development of the Vietnamese art market.

Reporter (PV): Hello, artist Pham Ha Hai. You are one of the Vietnamese artists whose paintings are present in many countries. Today, I would like to hear about that. How challenging is it for Vietnamese paintings to make their way from the domestic market to the international stage?

Artist Pham Ha Hai: The Indochina artists left their marks on the Indochina art scene in exhibitions in Paris during the 1930s. This period marked the development of modern art in Vietnam. The paintings of Vietnamese artists were chosen by the French based on their rigorous evaluations to be taken to Paris. This way, Vietnamese art became internationalized from that point onwards. The following generation embraced innovation, and Vietnamese artworks diversified in their introduction to the world. This was achieved through various exchanges, biennial art events, cultural introductions, art fairs, and involvement of local and international galleries, which created waves and then subsided by the early 2000s.

In the past twenty years, Vietnam has integrated considerably, but in the field of art, Vietnam's presence on the international market seems rather modest. In the first half of the 1990s, Vietnam was considered a country with outstanding art in Southeast Asia. However, we haven't invested significantly enough to maintain this position. Meanwhile, countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand have surpassed us. The involvement of the state, professional associations, and domestic art businesses have yet to yield substantial results. For individual artists, there are limited collaboration options for passive art introduction. They can actively take their art abroad. In my case, I should have been in New York right now, but it's postponed due to COVID-19. They organize very large art fairs. Each event attracts tens of thousands of viewers. The expenses include transportation, living costs, and wall space for your paintings. But what's essential is having a representative gallery. They purchase a space, display your paintings, and charge a transaction fee. Depending on the case, you may receive some support for the exhibition fees they buy from the organizers.

"Seasonal Transition" - an oil painting by artist Pham Ha Hai, created in 2015.

PV: Regarding your mention of investors, are galleries very important for the global art market?

Artist Pham Ha Hai: Extremely important. They operate very professionally. Large galleries with a long-standing brand and international branch networks provide artists with opportunities if they are chosen. They play an essential intermediary role connecting artists and collectors.

PV: So, what about galleries in Vietnam? What role do they play currently?

Artist Pham Ha Hai: Galleries in Vietnam began to emerge in the late 1980s, experienced a boom in the late 1990s, and dwindled by the end of the 2000s. The vast majority operate with a small-business spirit, selling whatever they have, lacking a solid foundation, sufficient capital, and, most importantly, lacking the confidence to expand further. A few galleries with the capacity to assess artistic quality have struggled due to their limited business development capability. Some galleries barely survive based on the personal efforts of their owners, who have the intellectual foundation, passion, and ideals but limited economic potential. Therefore, the gallery scene in Vietnam is both scarce and weak.

Artist Pham Ha Hai, By Do Bich

PV: Does that mean Vietnamese art is stagnant?

Artist Pham Ha Hai: Not necessarily. There are some galleries in Vietnam that are increasingly professional. They carefully select artists to collaborate with, aim for exclusivity to ensure an active role in building the market, and promote their artists internationally. Professionalism like this will never open their doors to every artist; they are very selective. They offer artists sophisticated platforms.

Furthermore, the art being created in Vietnam can now be evaluated as good in terms of creativity and deserves to be part of dialogues. Vietnamese individuals have increasing income levels, interests, and the financial capacity to collect art, and there are no shortage of wealthy individuals who can both collect art and consider it an investment. Therefore, there are two important factors at hand, the artworks and the collectors. However, we are lacking an adequate intermediary step to meet supply and demand.

This intermediary step includes art critics, art dealers, and galleries. Critique work should be stronger, guiding and precise. The dealer force needs to grow in numbers and reputation to persuade investors' interest. They should utilize professional critiques to convey the accurate value of artworks. Galleries, in particular, can function as both investors and intermediaries. If Vietnam wants to quickly develop a domestic art market, this intermediary system is vital.

Yet, to create a market at the regional level, significant financial investment is crucial. At this point, we need government involvement. We need national art exhibition centers, international-level art fairs, and tax policies for these activities. We need a contemporary art museum, establish a Vietnam Art Fair, provide the necessary infrastructure, and create large-scale spaces comparable to international standards. By organizing annual events and inviting countries to participate, we can achieve a rich, comprehensive presence that will become a prominent brand. Bringing Vietnamese art to a large international scale will draw worthy attention, but it comes at a high cost. This initiative may require an expenditure of several million USD for the necessary boost.

PV: I don't know about you, but when I hear figures in the millions of USD, I start to break a sweat (laughs). The story of "art exports," as it were, including painting, will undoubtedly be a subject of great interest in the near future. Thank you for taking the time to chat. We wish you even greater success in your career, and we look forward to hearing new and positive information in the field of art in our country!

Author: Tham Am

Source: Newspaper Quan Doi Nhan Dan