HCM CITY — Located in HCM City’s District 2, The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre’s exhibitions and unique architecture have been attracting many visitors since its opening more than a year ago.

The arts centre is said to be the first purpose-built space for contemporary art in Việt Nam. The streetfront of the building is a colourfully decorated containerville (a unit built out of containers).

The centre’s main building contains exhibition spaces, an educational arts library, workshops, a co-working space, a restaurant and a bar.

Established in 2016 by artist Ti-A, The Factory’s aim is to be a dynamic destination for art, designing innovative programs and supporting the development of contemporary art in the country.

The exterior of The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre in HCM City’s District 2. – VNS Photo Minh Hương

Many exhibitions, workshops, live art demonstrations, talks, and film screenings take place at The Factory, creating opportunities for young Vietnamese artists to appear in solo exhibitions or in collaborations with partners, contributing to the development of artistic production and a public arts culture in Việt Nam.

“As an independent organisation, we are a ‘factory’ of critical ideas; a site of constant physical transformation; and a network of people who strive to speak about tangible and intangible cultural memories that matter and are indelibly unique,”  according to The Factory’s website.

The arts centre operates as a social enterprise whereby all profits from sales of art and business on the property support the running costs of its art-related programmes.

Popular activities for visitors include meeting friends at the F Kitchen and Bar for a weekend brunch or at-dusk cocktail or enjoying a traditional Vietnamese coffee at the Red Goat Café.

“For me, the space is a promising one for local Saigonese to enjoy the arts, especially after the arts site 3A Station was shut down. This artsy place is one good reason to wind up back in District 2 as often as we did before,” Lý Thành Cơ writes on his blog www.venturology.org.

Exhibitions, workshops, live arts and talks are held in The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre in HCM City. – Photo courtesy of factoryartscentre.com

Some of the impressive exhibitions this year have included Poetic Amnesia by Phan Thảo Nguyên, in February; Histoire d’un voyage: Sand in my ears, adrift of the world by Nguyễn Thúy Hằng; and a group exhibition I, me, mine in June.

Solo exhibitions that ended on Sunday include Muted Conversations by Đạt Vũ and a show by artist Ly Hoàng Ly. Upcoming exhibitions include “Paradise Lost” by Hoàng Thanh Vĩnh Phong and a group exhibition called Spirit of Friendship.

The centre is open Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 10am to 7pm for exhibition areas; 10am to 11pm for the restaurant and bar; and 9am to 10pm for the café. The entrance fee is VNĐ10,000 to VNĐ100,000, depending on the activity.

Learn more about The Contemporary Arts Centre, located at 15 Nguyễn Ư Dĩ Street in District 2, at its website  www.factoryartscentre.com. — VNS