ART & ENTERTAINMENT: tháng 2 2012

Thứ Năm, 16 tháng 2, 2012

Tay Nguyen grave statues may be history

VietNamNet Bridge – Charnel house statues – part of the unique cultural identity of the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) ethnic groups, are likely to disappear, experts warn.

Cycle of life: Foreign visitors take a closer look at charnel house statues at the Musem of Ethnology in Ha Noi. (Photo: VNS)

It is said that the statues were used at the grave-leaving ceremony – the last farewell of the living before seeing off the dead to the other world. Usually, at each grave-leaving ceremony, tens or even hundreds of statues were carved.

Cemeteries of a huge number of wooden statues are usually located in forest, so it is imaginable that visitors think they are lost in between the worlds of reality and spirits.

Doctor Ngo Van Doanh, an expert in Tay Nguyen culture, visited the cemeteries in the Tay Nguyen region, a labyrinth of wooden statues with different figures.

"Usually there is a couple of male and female statues by the door of each charnel house, the statue of a pregnant woman by the side, and seated statues of new-born babies in the house's corners," Doanh said.

"These statues spell out the cycle of birth: conception, pregnancy, then deliverance. The statues do not present specific people, they are universal."

However, they are dwindling.

Many cemeteries in Dac Lac Province, for example, that were once a complex of statues have now decreased in size due to thieves, according to the online Vietnamplus newspaper.

Noticeably, tens of statues at a cemetery in Buon Don District disappeared in one night recently.

"Previously, hundreds of people in the area could carve charnel house statues. Unfortunately, only a handful of people in my village and ones nearby can, and they all are quite old now," said patriarch Ma H'trinh of Buon Don District's Yang Lanh Village.

"Of course, a number of young people in the area can whittle statues of this kind. Yet their statues are carved so carefully but without a soul," he said.

Doanh agreed, saying that charnel house statues used to be carved with primitive tools such as axes and knives, thus revealing the character's miens. Nowadays, craftsmen make the statues look like real people, but the original and artistic value of the statues is lost.

Truong Bi, deputy head of Dac Lac's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and expert in Tay Nguyen culture, lamented: "The philosophy of human life and the cycle of birth is also lost".

"New statues do not appear to be ‘deep in thought' and plainly-carved like the traditional ones; they resemble servants of death," Bi said.

The other reason behind the gradual vanishing of charnel house statues was the decreased number of carvers and the increased scarcity of carving tools, he added.

"The number of people able to carve traditional statues is getting smaller and smaller because the younger generation shows no interest in the craft."

Furthermore, cemented and concrete graves were replacing more traditional charnel houses, Bi said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Ba Ria Vung Tau $1.3b Wonderful World park axed

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau People's Committee has agreed in principle to withdraw Good Choice USA-Viet Nam Co's US$1.3 billion investment licence for a tourism project in the southern coastal city.

The decision was made after the provincial Department of Planning and Investment consulted other local departments about ways to speed-up the slow-moving project, which has been moving at a snail's pace for the last four years.

"We have sent two documents to the project's investor, Good Choice USA-Viet Nam Co, asking the enterprise to complete the procedures required to liquidate the project," Dang Minh Thong, the department's deputy director, said.

"After this, we will petition the People's Committee to make a final decision on revoking the project's licence. We have yet to receive a response from the firm. Even if we hear nothing the decision will remain unchanged," he said.

The Vung Tau Wonderful World Theme Park Project includes a five-star hotel with 2,500 rooms, several four-star hotels with 4,000 rooms, an entertainment park and a convention centre.

The project, one of the biggest in the province, has failed to get off the ground since an investment licence was granted in February 2008.

"We have failed to contact the representatives of the investor, an affiliate of California-based Good Choice USA, in Viet Nam," Thong said.

"After the licence is revoked, the province will keep development plans for the site unchanged, and will call for local and foreign investment," he added.

Thong said the province was looking into other slow-moving projects and would help investors speed-up work or would scrap those that lacked adequate funding.

Last year, the provincial authority revoked the licences of 24 slow-moving foreign – and domestic-invested projects.

Thong said priority this year would be given to reviewing the implementation of licensed projects to ensure the capital flow into the province, adding that since 2009, regular dialogues had been held between local authorities and investors in an attempt to address any financial difficulties.

Last year, FDI disbursement exceeded total registered capital in the province at $1.2 billion.

VNS

Audio book library grows, aids blind

VietNamNet Bridge – The HCM City-based Audio Books for the Blind Charity Fund recently completed titles to add to its audio book library, including textbooks, reference books, history books, and fairy tales.

More than 17,000 copies of these books will be delivered to the 85 branches of the Blind People Association and schools for the blind nationwide, serving a total of 1.2 million people.

The works were carried out between March and December last year, with US$10,000 support from the Future First programme of HSBC Viet Nam.

The 23 best readers were selected from 145 volunteer staff that responded to the casting call for readers of the books.

Nguyen Huong Duong, who tragically lost her legs in a traffic accident, launched the audio books library for the blind in 1988. The library has now over 1,000 book titles, last year reaching 100,000 copies of 100 books.

The support came from HSBC Viet Nam's local Future First programme in 2010-11. US$100,000 was targeted to support non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide education and life skills for disadvantaged children.

The global Future First is HSBC's US$10 million educational programme for disadvantaged children. It had 314 projects in 55 countries between 2006 and 2010. Another US$15 million will serve the second five-year phase from 2011.

In the first phase, projects in Viet Nam benefited from more than US$545,000 in funding, including the Christina Noble Children's Association, Sai Gon Children Charity and KOTO, a non-profit restaurant and hospitality vocational training institution.

* Students win organ competition

The three Vietnamese students competing at the second Asia Pacific Open Electronic Organ Competition held in Hong Kong all won top prizes, according to an official from the Viet Nam National Academy of Music.

Luu Quang Minh, deputy director of the academy said that the students include Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong winning first prize in the pop music category for ages over 22; Le Thi Quynh, third prize in classical music for over 22 and Le Hoang Thao, third prize in pop music for under 18.

Phuong is a fourth year student of the academy while Quynh is a master student and Thao is a third year college student.

The contest was held by the Asia Pacific Electronic Instruments Association, which gathered 200 contestants from all over the region.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Blind man who can play 15 types of musical instruments (video)

VietNamNet Bridge – A 24-year-old blind man from the central province of Quang Binh surprised the jury of the Vietnam’s Got Talent 2012, for playing two foreign songs “Baby” and “Beautiful Girls” by six musical instruments.

Nguyen Thanh Binh said he had planed to play the two songs by 15 musical instruments but he brought only 12 musical instruments with him to the show and finally he used only six of them, including: bamboo flute, Vietnamese two-chord guitar, dan ken, guitar and harmonica.

Binh said he wanted to surprise the audience in the next rounds, so in the first round he only used six musical instruments.

Binh left his home in Quang Binh when he was nine years old to study at Nguyen Dinh Chieu School for Blind Students in Hanoi.

At school, Binh was taught massage, point acupuncture and playing music. The boy then decided to focus on music.

He studied Vietnamese two-chord fiddle and then guitar at the Vietnam National Musical Institute. He played piano at some restaurants to earn money.

Binh recently quit studying at the Vietnam National Musical Institute to focus on recording. The talented man is cooperating with many singers like Van Mai Huong, Hoang Nghiep, Khac Viet, Le Hieu, My Linh and song writers Duc Tri and Ho Hoai Anh.

In 2010, he won a prize of the Vietnamese Song competition with a song entitled “Dreams.”

In the next round of Vietnam’s Got Talent, Binh will sing an English song while playing music by many musical instruments.

Pictorial of Viet Nam's first Government leader published

VietNamNet Bridge – A pictorial entitled the Chairman of the Council of Ministers containing nearly 300 valuable documentary photos of life, revolutionary activities and national revolutionary leader, Pham Hung has been published by the Vietnam News Agency on the 100th anniversary of his birth this year.

Pham Hung was the first Government leader in the Renewal Process after the 6th national Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. (Photo: VNS)

The photos were collected from the Vietnam News Agency photo archive, museums nationwide, his family and many other sources.

It is expected to help readers learn more about Pham Hung, an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh, from his teenage years when he was studying at College de My Tho, to his revolutionary activity up until the time the country gained peace.

Pham Hung, whose registered birth name was Pham Van Thien, was born into a farming family in southern Ving Long Province in June 11, 1912.

He devoted nearly 60 years of his life to Viet Nam's revolutionary cause. He was arrested by French colonialists, sentenced to death and exiled to Con Dao, an island that housed political prisoners. For nearly 15 years of being detained in colonial prisons, Pham Hung never ceased his struggle.

With his unyielding will, creative thought and burning revolutionary enthusiasm, Pham Hung was entrusted with many important tasks during the struggle for national liberation and reunification, as well as during the national reconstruction and development period.

He held important posts such as Secretary of the Central Office for South Viet Nam, Head of the Central Reunification Committee, and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of As the Chairman of the Council of Ministers in 1987, he was the first person to lead the Government in the Renewal Process after the 6th national Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

Viewers will have the opportunity to see images of the revolutionist in prison, his trips together with President Ho Chi Minh in the northernmost Viet Nam Base and with leaders of the southern party committee steering the fight against the French in the southern region.

The book captures the portrait of a revolutionist as "a man of steel" in the face of enemies and a dedicated leader who sacrificed himself for the country and people.

* Workshop to discuss scholar's contribution to romanised Vietnamese script

A workshop to discuss the significant contributions of scholar Nguyen Van Vinh to the development of the Vietnamese language will be held on Friday in Ha Noi.

Entitled Nguyen Van Vinh and The Journey of romanised Vietnamese script, the workshop will also discuss how to form a national-level scientific committee which would have the aim of valuing Vinh's cultural career and his efforts to spread the romanised Vietnamese script in the country at a time when Chinese-based ideograph characters were the norm.

Born to a poor family in Ha Noi, Vinh (1882-1936) was the top student at the College des Intrepretes (College of Interpreters) in Ha Noi during the 1893-95 term. He then worked for different French authority offices in the North before moving on to open the city's first printing house in 1907.

At the same time, Vinh published the Dai Nam Dong Van Nhat Bao newspaper, which means "the daily newspaper of Dai Nam with the use of a common language." The newspaper was the first publication in the Vietnamese language in the North.

During that time, Vinh also joined movements against the colonial authority that led to the forced closure of his newspaper by the French in 1908.

From 1908-19, he published Notre Journal (Our Daily), Notre Revue (Our Magazine), Luc Tinh Tan Van (Modern Literature of Six Southern Provinces), and the weekly Dong Duong Magazine.

In 1927, he founded the La pensee de l'Occident (Western European Opinion), which published his translated books.

Forced into bankruptcy in 1932, Vinh immigrated to Laos where he died of malaria in May 1936 while working on his memoir Un mois avec des chercheurs d'or (A Month Living with the Golden Diggers).

The workshop on his career will take place at 53 Nguyen Du Street from 1.30pm with the participation of historians and researchers as well as members of his family.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Consular Club takes care of the community

VietNamNet Bridge – The Consular Club in HCM City, founded in 1994, consists of wives of consul generals and foreign female staff who work at consulates in HCM City.

Care from above: The wife of the American Consul General, Madame Tam Le (wearing ao dai) poses for a photo with her friends at the Consular Club's Charity Bazaar last year. — VNS Photo Sunny Rose

According to Tam Le, wife of An Le, US consul general in HCM City, and also president of the Consular Club, the club members are bonded by one goal: to positively affect the lives of local Vietnamese men, women and children by helping them meet their most basic needs.

Each year, the Consular Club hosts two signature fundraising events, the annual Charity Bazaar in November, and the Art Auction in early March.

The Charity Bazaar displays the diverse cultural heritage that defines the diplomatic corps here in Viet Nam, and in the name of charity, gives attendees the opportunity to shop and bid on quality goods, with all proceeds going to charities supported by the Consular Club in the areas of social welfare, education and health care.

It takes at least five months to organise the Charity Bazaar. All members get together to decide on a venue then book the reservation.

"Next, we divide up the work and each Consul General's wife makes a request to the companies in their own country, or wherever they have a contact, for support in terms of goods and money to be contributed to the bazaar," said Tam Le. "In addition to food and merchandise, we also sell entrance and raffles tickets for additional revenue".

The raffle prizes, which also come from donations, include a variety of goods, from electronic equipment, to restaurant vouchers, airline tickets and four and five-star resort hotels in Viet Nam.

"All of this happened after I was here barely a year. Last year's Charity Bazaar was a resounding success; we raised more than US$130,000. The Consular Club's success is dependent on the hard work and dedication of its members. But our work of helping those in need cannot be done without the generous support of local leaders, and from the business community here in HCM City," she added.

Playground of discovery

According to Tam Le, many expats find it impossible to drive themselves anywhere here in Viet Nam and have to depend on taxis or hiring a chauffeur. The majority of the population travel by motorbikes and most streets are narrow with very few traffic lights, so traffic jams are a part of life. In addition, there is basic medical assistance, but advanced medical capacity has yet to be established.

"Life in Viet Nam offers numerous cultural and linguistic differences," she said.

"Reaching for a sense of identity as a family, we have immersed ourselves in the land of our ancestors' past. Viet Nam has become a playground of discovery, self-searching and adventure. We have participated in Vietnamese rituals, festivals, music, and traditions."

"As we began to explore more of the city after our arrival 16 months ago, we really began to enjoy it. It's a city full of energy and vitality. People from all age groups are out strolling, and young couples pack the cafes. Even though construction cranes are rising all around the new HCM City, the old Saigon has not disappeared. Beneath the steel and glass, the low-rise French colonial city flourishes," she said.

Over the past year and a half, Tam Le has had the opportunity to travel with her husband throughout Viet Nam. A day in Ha Noi with old houses beneath shady roads, smooth green lakes, lovely parks and museums reminds her of Paris. She has also visited Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An and the Mekong Delta. Each place left her with unforgettable memories.

"Viet Nam is a country with so many sites to see and enjoy. The fact that it is small enables people to go to the beach or the mountain easily in a few hours, away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. There is a great variety of food, which is excellent, everywhere you go," she said.

As for the food, Vietnamese chefs are accomplished in international cuisine as well. "The best aspect is that visitors can enjoy many features of this country even if they don't speak Vietnamese," she said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

Da Nang to host international parasailing competition

VietNamNet Bridge – Authorities of the central city of Da Nang on February 14 met with Japanese partners to fix the schedule for an international parasailing festival.

The event is scheduled on May 23-27 along the beach of Pham Van Dong Park.

On the first three days, tourists will enjoy parasailing performances. The last two days will be for parasailing competition.

Fifty parachute-jumpers from the USA, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, China, and South Korea will compete in four categories: speed, rescue, teamwork and marks. The scheduled line is 5km long and scheduled height is 50-70m.

The festival will be held with other activities: rural fair, stone-made artwork exhibition, painting exhibition, etc.

The organizing board says that the competition is held to strengthen Vietnam-Japan relationship, to draw tourists to Da Nang and to advertise Da Nang as a city of tourism and festivals.

The total funding for this event is VND15 billion ($750,000), raised from non-State sources, said Than Ngoc Hai Cat, director of Cati, the event organizer.

Cat said that after the festival, Da Nang will set up it sown parasailing team and turn the parasailing competition into an annual event.

“This is the first step to create a new tourism product,” Cat said.

Song Ha

Vietnamese American actor talks Thai film due for April release

As his newest international film project, the English speaking Thai action film “Angels”, is to be released in Vietnam in April, Vietnamese American actor Dustin Nguyen talks films and life with The Thao Van Hoa Newspaper.

In “Angels”, Dustin plays former CIA agent Johnny, who stages a comeback in order to get revenge for his murdered daughter.

Additionally, “Lua Phat,” a long overdue project, written and directed by Nguyen, will be produced this year. The actor plays a small role in the film expected to hit theatres nationwide in 2013.

* Professionally, what impressed you the most during the making of “Angels” in Thailand, in which you play Johnny, a retired CIA agent?

- Probably the logistics. They had a very efficient and scientific working schedule, which never exceeded 12 hours of work per day. When I finished reading the script, I thought with many complicated scenes and that the crew would have to move a lot, it would be really hard for them to film as their schedule. It turned out later that we even finished the filming a few days ahead of our schedule. That was really impressive.

I am saying this because organizing an efficient working schedule for a film production is not an easy job. Even in Hollywood or other countries where I used to work, many film crews were overloaded with work, especially the filming itself, which could take up to 17 hours a day. That the Thai people could do this was not because they had money or that they had a super talented staff. I think what is important is that every single staff member there was really responsible for their job and really respected the rules. The working atmosphere there was really good.

* You used to play many characters named Johnny like in the 2005 Australian movie Little Fish (starring opposite the well-known Cate Blanchett). Does there happen to be a reason for that, like you really like the name?

- Well I wouldn’t notice it if you had not pointed it out for me. I played a number of “Johnnys” but I don’t think there is a reason here. My way of working is that I normally read the script first, if I find it interesting I will consider the project. I hardly pay any attention to the characters’ names. Besides, when you are in a film, there is no “you” anymore. There will only be these “Johnnys” so whether I like the name or not does not matter at all.

In “Angels”, besides action scenes, my Johnny will have to express the depth of his feelings, of being torn between his wanting to get revenge for his dead daughter and just to let it go, of the pain of losing his daughter and killing someone. In recent years, I have preferred roles which have a certain depth. I don’t want to play purely action heroes anymore.

When I came back to Vietnam, it was also because of another Johnny – (the actor and producer Johnny Tri Nguyen) .

* Your film project “Lua phat” would have had been finished long ago, if you had not insisted that it had to be in Vietnamese. Now the project is underway in Vietnamese, why is it so important to you? Why don’t you want it to be in English, your first language?

- Because my dream is to direct a film in Vietnam and it has to be in Vietnamese, and as close to Vietnamese people as possible. Therefore my script was written for the domestic market and the characters were built having Vietnamese characteristics. If the film is made in English, many things need to be changed and I don’t want to make a half-hearted product like that.

I know I have prepared for this project for so long now, and want to see it in theatres soon, but it can’t be hurried just for this reason.

* You once wanted to quit acting after a tragic incident happened to your family, but you can’t. Is there anything that makes you regret doing this job?

- I act because it is my passion, and it is a career I want to pursue, not for its fame, or awards. Therefore I have never felt much pressure. I have been in this business for a long time now, and can’t say I am happy with everything but I don’t regret anything either.
When I was young in America, when I failed to get into the film school I had dreamt of, I was really lucky to be offered acting roles and started my career like that. When I came back to Vietnam, the audiences love my films, I feel really warm everywhere I go. How can I ask for more? To me, acting is the best job.

* What about other roles like producer, scriptwriter and director?

- Producers always have to bear much more pressure than other jobs in film production, so that is a job I sometimes have to do, not want to. Directing and scriptwriting is also much harder than acting, but I want to do it now, because this is a story I want to tell.

Dustin Nguyen (born September 17, 1962) is a Vietnamese-American actor, director, writer and martial artist.
Some of his best known roles include Harry Truman Ioki on American TV drama 21 Jump Street (1987-1990) and as Johnny Loh on V.I.P (1998-2002).
In 2005, he played heroin addict and boyfriend of Tracy Heart (played by Cate Blanchett) in Little Fish.
In March 2009 he won the Vietnamese Canh Dieu Vang (Golden Kite Award) for Best Actor, for his starring role in the Phuoc Sang Films “Huyen Thoai Bat Tu” (The Legend Is Alive)

TT&VH/Tuoitre

ART & ENTERTAINMENT IN BRIEF 16/2

First show by An My Le in town

‘Events Ashore’ from renowned photographer and film-maker An My Le, who has consistently challenged the role, purpose and strategy of military operations as a theatre of fact and fiction, is on display at the San Art in Binh Thanh District.

The show features the artist’s latest project, which begun in 2006 with ten large-sized photos depicting the activities of a contemporary U.S. soldier.

It captures images of soldiers clearing trip wires in Indonesia, assisting relief efforts in earthquake-hit Haiti, a Lieutenant Commander preparing for his portrait photograph in a warship studio, jungle survival in Indonesia with the art of skinning snakes and the presence of Buddhist monks on board U.S. naval vessels.

Le’s work provides a powerful doorway to the social and political responsibilities of contemporary military life.

Born in Saigon in 1960, she is a professor of Photography at Bard College in New York where she now lives and works.

The show runs until Saturday at San Art, 3 Me Linh Street in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District.

HRC presents array of rock performances

Ha Noi Rock City (HRC) will host duos Xu Shaoyang and Sha Sha from Hong Kong and Zippy Doiron (Canada) and Jordan Senior (UK) tomorrow.

Influenced by bands and artists such as The Pastels, Dan Hill, Tori Kudo, Joao Gillberto and Faye Wong, Xu has created his own unique style mixing blues, Chinese pop and soul. He has spent 10 years touring Europe, America and Asia.

Jordan Senior, who performed at HRC last August, will kick-start the night with singer/ganster Zippy Doiron, at 27/52 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District, from 9pm. Entrance fee at door: VND50,000.

On Saturday, the rock band Tiny Monster will hit the HRC stage. Founded in late 2011, the band comprises some familiar faces from the infamous Vietnamese rock bands Gat Tan Day, Microwave and Little Wings. Moving forward from their animated indie pop rock pasts, Tiny Monster are writing lyrically mature music that sounds delightfully delicate and calm.

Besides their impressive debut performance at the Rock Storm concert, the HCM City-based band marked their first outstanding steps into the music scene with their acclaimed 12-track debut album Duong Ve (The Way Home).

Their performance at HRC will start at 9.40pm.

Rugby matches to be hosted by Hanoi Dragons

Everyone interested in playing or watching a game of rugby are invited to join the Hanoi Dragons Rugby Union Football Club on Sunday, for an event featuring 10-a-side and mixed-seven matches.

The games will start at 2pm at Ha Dong Stadium, located at the corner of Ba Trieu and To Hieu streets in Ha Dong District.

Mango Bay Cup opens to budding footie stars

The Mango Bay Phu Quoc Resort is preparing for its fifth annual football tournament for the expatriate community on May 5.

This year, eight expatriate teams, divided into two groups, will compete for the title at the island’s An Thu 3 stadium.

The registration fee is US$300 per team of ten, including one goalkeeper, six starting players and three substitutes. The fee includes complimentary water and players get a reduced rate of US$10 per person for a special BBQ night. Players’ guests can also join the legendary seafood and steak barbeque for US$20 each.

Last year, the final saw the Raiders, which comprised of Saigon ex-pats, defeat the Flippers, who had islanders and expats in their line-up.

For the detailed tournament schedule and best room-rate deals email Ronan Le Bihan, the resort’s general manager at gm@mangobayphuquoc.com.

Electro maestro accompanied by young talent

Electro maestro Vu Nhat Tan will join bassist Bush Lam for a performance at CAMA ATK, 73 Mai Hac De Street, on Saturday night.

Tan has long been considered the "vanguard" of experimental and electronic music in the capital. Through his noise groups, DJ sets, classical compositions and lectures at the Ha Noi Conservatory, he has introduced a generation of Hanoians to a world of music considered "strange" by many.

During Saturday's performance, Tan will have one of Viet Nam's most promising young musicians, Bush Lam, to accompany him on live bass. The duo's performance will start at 7pm.

Listen to extracts from Cosi fan Tutte

Extracts from the world-famous Cosi fan Tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart will be presented during the An Evening of Opera in the courtyard of the Italian restaurant Luna d'Autunno on Thursday, February 22.

Under the baton of British conductor Graham Sutcliffe, the artists will perform 10 extracts, including Una donna a quindici anni (soprano), Ah Garda sorella (soprano), Non Siete ritrosi (baritone), Donna mie la fate (tenor) and Verdi: La Donne e mobile (tenor).

The An Evening of Opera will take place at 78 Tho Nhuom Street from 8.30-10.30pm.

Japanese artist exhibits first video in HCM

The first solo video exhibition of Japanese artist Meiro Koizumi, Human Opera: Meiro Koizumi, will open at San Art in HCM City on February 24.

The exhibition will feature two video works titled Human Opera XXX (2005) and My Voice Would Reach You (2009). They represent the human spirit's dilemma in dealing with the complex contradictions of urban life.

Born in Gunma in 1976, Koizumi currently lives and works in Yokohama in Japan. He studied at Chelsea Art and Design School in London and Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Institute in Amsterdam. His works have been shown in major museums around the world.

The exhibition will run until March 23 at 3 Me Linh Street in Binh Thanh District.

Eighty-year-old artist's works put on display

Eighty-year-old artist Pham Cung is displaying his works at the Dan Ba Trong Mat Toi (Women in My Eyes) exhibition at HCM City Fine Arts Association.

The exhibition features 37 oil paintings reflecting the beauty of Vietnamese women. The exhibition closes on Saturday at 218A Pasteur Street in District 3.

Hanoi hosts Australian cultural week

A week featuring Australian culture as well as its education sector will be held in Hanoi from Feb. 17-25 with a programme of events taking place across the city.

At the start of the week, a police football team from the state of Victoria will play friendly matches against a team from Vietnam ’s Public Security Ministry as well as a team from the Australian Embassy in Hanoi .

The Victoria police will also visit and present sports equipment to the Birla orphanage in Hanoi .

A number of prize winning films from the Melbourne International Film Festival will also be screened for students at three universities in the city.

During the week, popular composer Michael Cuming will perform with a jazz fusion band and a number of seminars on how to learn English more effectively will also take place.

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Thứ Năm, 16 tháng 2, 2012