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T
he Tu Do Gallery opened in Saigon in 1989 and was
immediately a great success. Its owner, Tran Thi Thu
Ha, says: “We could once display one artist’s paintings
in the afternoon and showcase another’s work the
next morning, but that time has gone.”
Through their love for art, Ha and her 70 year old hus-
band, Dang Hai Son, have kept the gallery in operation despite
many difficulties. Dang Hai Son says the gallery no longer
thrives as it has to contend with very hard conditions.
Tran Thi Thu Ha ran into the art field by chance just be-
fore she started her handcraft business on Dong Khoi street,
downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Her first exhibition of the painter
Rung, aka Nguyen Tuan Khanh, proved a strong draw.
“People overflowed the narrow space of the house. After
that, many artists suggested I start up a gallery, so I took the
chance,” Ha recalls.
Living with paintings for a year, Ha grew to love art
and became a painter. Her first exhibition came after just
a year. Her gallery is a rare case of a business that has
changed location and remained a success. Tu Do Gallery is
now located at 53 Ho Tung Mau, also in District 1. “Many
galleries have opened, moved and closed – very few sur-
vive,” Ha says.
One of the survivors is Art Vietnam Gallery. According to
Suzanne Lecht – a familiar name in art world here – the period
from 2006 to 2009 was particularly difficult. She says that the
economic crisis saw Art VietnamGallery face hard times. She has
since moved from a rented space to her own private house. She
has also been forced to reduce her trips to foreign art trade fairs.
In Hanoi, Maison Des Arts is a renowned six year old art
space that has also had to move. According to its owner,
Nguyen Nga, the landlord decided to dramatically increase
the rent and she could not afford it.
Her new location is 22A Hai Ba Trung which Nga says is
rather inconvenient for displaying art, and as a result exhibi-
tions are now few and far between.
LOCAL CUSTOMERS ARE KEY
When the first galleries opened, very few Vietnamese
were buying paintings. “In ten years operating Art Vietnam
gallery, I have seen just four Vietnamese people buy paint-
ings,” says Lecht.
GALLERY SURVIVAL
ART SCENE
Many painters and gallery owners feel that the golden period for Vietnam’s art
market has passed, but art appreciation among the domestic market seems to
be on the rise, writes
Hong Nguyen
LIFESTYLE