This exhibition commemorates the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 2025. The Vietnam War is well known for the victory of Vietnam against a great power, the USA, which resulted in a drastic change in the conventional situation of the world itself. However, for Vietnam, the 20th century should not be described exclusively with the Vietnam War but with other significant factors, including French colonization involved with drastic modernization, two wars, and reunification of the divided country followed by the refugee crisis and economic reformation under the Doi Moi Policy, as well as globalization. The 20th century for Vietnam was the era of significant change that experienced such historic transformation one after another.
While following the history of Vietnam, the exhibition unveils the images and memories about the country created by the artists who were born in or have roots in Vietnam, as well as other Asian artists with close relation to Vietnam. It showcases approximately 110 artworks, such as the landscapes of the ideal homeland illustrated by Vietnamese artists, numerous posters addressing powerful figures of the people, photographs that painstakingly capture the reality of the battlefield, and moreover, contemporary artworks that redescribe the history recognized through the memories of families and individuals.
Visitors could grasp the images and the memories created referring to Vietnam through various representations, which expose the previously unseen “memory-scape” surrounding Vietnam, the country that went through radical shifts from modern to contemporary times.
As part of the exhibition, a special segment will be provided to introduce the “Nguyen Phan Chanh Conservation Project” conducted by the MITANI Foundation for Protection of Cultural and Artistic Properties. Nguyen Phan Chanh is known as the great master of silk paintings in modern Vietnamese art. However, many Vietnamese modern artworks, including Nguyen’s, are in urgent need of restoration. The project plays a significant role in the future conservation of the artworks.
Hopefully this exhibition will contribute to mutual understanding and to the building of deeper friendship in the future between Vietnam and Japan, which have been increasingly close in recent years.
