A display from series Hồn Xiêu - Phách Lạc by Nguyễn Duy Mạnh.  — Photo courtesy of the artist

PARIS — Two renowned contemporary Vietnamese artists, Trương Công Tùng and Nguyễn Duy Mạnh, are exhibiting their works in Paris.

The exhibition entitled Untamed Souls brings together two contrasting practices of the artists in all its physical, historical and cultural implications.

In the centre of the gallery, a dramatic banquet of symbols is set to feed six people. These cups, bowls and platters are part of a larger series of 54 place settings created between 2017 and 2023 that represent the 54 ethnic groups in Việt Nam.

Mạnh named this series Hồn Xiêu - Phách Lạc (Wandering Souls - Lost Spirits). His sharing and distribution of the meal invites spectators to participate in its ritual, in a gesture that is both generous and intimate.

Part of this display was exhibited in Hà Nội earlier in 2024. Born in 1984 in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc, he is a member of the Việt Nam Fine Arts Association and currently lives and works in Hà Nội. Since 2006, Mạnh has successively worked with other media and materials including paint, fibres, objects and ceramics.

Tùng graduated from the HCM Fine Arts University in 2010, majoring in lacquer painting. His paintings reflect the dynamics of his childhood in Tây Nguyên Central Highland's Gia Rai Province.

His approaches art like gardening, creating an environment where seeds are sown and their growth is observed. Almost all of his works are 'in progress' allowing the artist to revisit them at any time and plant new seeds.

Tùng has extensively exhibited both in Vietnam and abroad as a solo artist and as a member of the Art Labor collective. His works have been showcased in numerous prestigious museums and art institutions worldwide, including the 60th Venice Biennale, Italy (2024) and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, USA (2023).

Lacquer paintings by Trương Công Tufnh at Untamed Souls. — Photo courtesy of Gallerie BAQ

The exhibition runs till June 19 June at Galerie BAQ, 15 rue Beautreillis, 75004 Paris from 11am-7pm Tuesday - Saturday. It is free admission. — VNS