Dear readers,

In the launch event for our sixth issue in Hue, I had the privilege to sit in a panel with Prof Dr Thai Kim Lan, and was impressed with her mentioning of Hue as sitting “in the middle”. The multi-layered observation prompted our team to situate our editorial outlines under the theme “Vista from the Centre” for this seventh issue of Art Republik in your hands. Focusing on Hue, the Features conversations sit us down with prominent figures closely linked to this cultural hub: Prof Dr Thai Kim Lan of Lan Vien Co Tich and the Perfume River Ancient Pottery Museum, Mdm Le Cam Te along her arduous actualisation of the late Le Ba Dang’s vision, Dr Amandine Dabat on the quest to recognise Emperor Ham Nghi’s significance in Vietnam’s art history, lecturer-artist Phan Hai Bang with his invention of trucchigraphy, contemporary curatorial duo Thien Thanh (Nu) and Nguyen Minh Ngoc on the AirHue residency programme, and a special labourer – Mr Thuyen Nguyen – the unassuming groundskeeper for the late sculptor Diem Phung Thi and her family in the last three decades.

Now a tradition, the Columnist section is a platform for young scholars to locate their academic viewpoints: Rylan Nguyen sharply problematises our vantage point of centrality in both international and Vietnam art landscapes. Expanded from Hue, the “middle” positioning also applies to Vietnam at the intersection of Asia and Europe as it underwent both Chinese imperialism and French colonisation. Such was evidenced in Thanh Nha Phan-Thi’s brief history of botanical art, Nguyen Ngoc Quy’s research on Bien Hoa ceramics’ stamps, and the old versus new meta Far East through the lenses of Quang Lam. Treating artworks as central subjects, you could view them through the forensic eyes of restoration scholar Vu Do in his project to conserve imperial proclamations, or the 15-year story of restoring 16 Nguyen Phan Chanh’s paintings by Mitani Foundation. Studying the human-centric mission of the National Bank of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Tam Pham had a learning investigation of the financial banknote series’ illustrations. As the world’s “cultural centres” rippled out along globalisation, we have inevitably shifted towards international operations standards – such is the Doraemon’s copyrights journey as narrated by ChuKim – while pondering to preserve local and peripheral values – as posited by An Tu in her article on Cham music culture. Lastly, you would be poised to situate an interdisciplinary dimension while acknowledging the influence of fine art on music through the essay by Duc Minh and Anh Quan.

Whether the “middle” position projects the tension of North-South, Asia-Europe, mainstream-underground, historical-contemporary, or between art and other disciplines, our editorial team, while making this issue, have harvested a myriad of lessons while anatomising at the same topic from various angles. And we hope you would, too.

Yours truly,
Ace Lê
Editor in Chief

Ace Lê, “Cần luận từ cả hai phía | To see from both sides” (2024), nhân vật TS Amandine Dabat. Art Republik Vietnam, 7, Conversation, pp. 70-79.

Hùng Nguyễn, “Câu chuyện phục chế và bảo tồn tranh lụa Nguyễn Phan Chánh | The story of Nguyen Phan Chanh’s silk painting restoration and conservation” (2024), nhân vật Mitani Foundation. (Ảnh được cung cấp bởi Mitani Foundation). Art Republik Vietnam, 7, Opinion, pp. 146-151.

Thủy Tiên, “Trong mắt người quản mộ | Kept by the groundskeeper” (2024), nhân vật Nguyễn Thuyên. (Dịch bởi Hương Trà). Art Republik Vietnam, 7, Conversation, pp. 104-115.

Quang Lâm, “Du hành đến Viễn Đông siêu hình | Travel to the meta Far East” (2024). (Dịch bởi Rylan Nguyễn, ảnh được cung cấp bởi Quang Lâm). Art Republik Vietnam, 7, Opinion, pp. 190-197.

[Hết đoạn trích]

Art Republik Vietnam xin chân thành cảm ơn sự quan tâm và đón nhận của các quý độc giả, cũng như những đóng góp của đội ngũ tác giả, dịch giả, biên tập, cố vấn, và những nhân vật đã tham gia thực hiện ấn phẩm lần này.

Ấn phẩm Art Republik Vietnam kỳ 7 ra mắt với 4 phiên bản bìa. Độc giả có thể lựa chọn phiên bản bìa yêu thích nhất.
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Bốn phiên bản bìa gồm:

– Bìa 1: Hàm Nghi, “Vách đá ở Port-Blanc (St-Lunaire)” (1912), sơn dầu trên ​toan
– Bìa 2: Nguyễn Phan Chánh, “Chăn vịt” (1971), màu nước trên lụa
– Bìa 3: Điềm Phùng Thị, “Mẹ con” (1972), đá Ý và kim loại trên bục gỗ
– Bìa 4: Quang Lâm, “Vùng đất lý tưởng” (2023), thuộc dự án nghệ thuật “Viễn Đông Siêu hình”, đa phương tiện