HÀ NỘI — The Fifth Hà Nội Open Exhibition will open today, showcasing the work of professional and amateur Vietnamese and foreign artists.

Audiences will have a chance to enjoy 140 works by 100 Vietnamese and international artists.

According to the organiser, there is no central theme to the Open Exhibition except that it is open in all senses. It is open for all to enter and open for a variety of mediums and open for all to visit with no admission charge.

It is a unique showcase for art in a variety of mediums: painting, sculpture, photography and print. It is as much an opportunity for art enthusiasts as it is for the artists themselves.

Over the past two decades there has been phenomenal and unprecedented artistic, commercial and social development in Việt Nam. Hà Nội remains central to the country’s creative community.

Contemporary Vietnamese artists have become respected around the world for their resourceful approach, cultural and social dialogue and creative sensitivity. Likewise, international artists are increasingly finding Hà Nội and Việt Nam an invaluable source of inspiration for their own work.

“Hà Nội is alive with artistic expression, a complex array of people representing a diverse range of origins and viewpoints continues to intrigue us,” curator and co-founder Claire Driscoll explained.

“This is its charm and its surprise. The show represents a unique opportunity to see this wealth of artistic range in one place at one event. The joy and the challenge of viewing an exhibition with such a range of work is how to find solitude with an individual piece amid the visual noise,” said Driscoll.

“In previous exhibitions we have worked hard to curate the work in such a way that the dialogue between a piece of work and its neighbours creates both tension and harmony.”

“Work Room Four has a saying ‘Create Something New’. The Open Show is a celebration of those who endeavour to do just that.”

The exhibition has been hosted by art organisation Work Room Four since 2013 with the aim of supporting new artists and honouring accomplished names in the industry.

Open Exhibitions have displayed over 550 works by over 250 artists. Over 3,000 visitors have enjoyed the exhibitions and tours and school trips are also offered to further engage the Hà Nội community.

The exhibition will run until November 8 at the Fine Arts Exhibition House, 93 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, Hà Nội. — VNS