Portraits of inspirational Vietnamese people through the lens of a German photographer

On November 5, the Goethe Institute in Vietnam organized the solo exhibition “Seeing or Being Seen” by famous German photographer Birgit Kleber.

With the series of works “Vietnam-Germany: 20 faces, 20 stories”, Birgit Kleber has recorded portraits of 20 Vietnamese people in Germany. They are people who have firmly asserted themselves and created distinct marks in their fields, drawing attention to a topic that is somewhat less visible in public awareness, and at the same time, inspiring the next generations to firmly step on their own path.

Some of the figures who returned to Vietnam to attend the exhibition: Ngo Ngoc Duc - a talented young filmmaker who won the prestigious Golden Lola Award; Nguyen Hong Anh - author and director, best known for the film "Saigon Kiss," which won the Best Short Film award at Hessischen Film and Kinopreis 2025; Khuong Dat Vuong - founder of Monsieur Vuong, the first Vietnamese restaurant in Berlin; Uyen Ninh, an inspirational YouTuber and content creator, followed and loved by millions of people in Vietnam, Germany, Europe and many other places around the world .

Some characters through the lens of famous German photographer Birgit Kleber.

Inspired by the flags of Vietnam and Germany, the three main colors of black, red and yellow run through almost the entire series of photos, creating a visual thread that connects the portraits and symbolizes the connection between the two countries.

Each portrait is the result of a shared attitude between artist and subject. Birgit begins by expressing an attitude as an invitation. If the invitation is accepted, a dialogue is opened, and from that exchange, the portrait gradually takes shape.

Placed side by side in the exhibition Seeing or Being Seen, the photographer appears to represent the observer, while the 20 faces are the observed. Yet, once captured in photography, all are both the seen and the looking back at the audience.

Since the 1990s, German photographer Birgit Kleber has been capturing portraits of her peers in a long-running series called "Photographers." She started in Berlin, where she lives and works, and then expanded to art hotbeds like Paris and New York.

Spanning more than three decades, the series has brought together more than 100 portraits – a who’s who of the photography world. It includes globally renowned faces, lesser-known but equally fascinating names, and some now deceased, making it a living visual chronicle of the history of global photography.

After the exhibition opening ceremony, the Organizing Committee held an exchange session "Behind the portrait - Uyen Ninh's journey" so that the public could talk with one of the exhibition's representative faces.

Uyen Ninh came to Germany in 2019 and started sharing her personal experiences and sharp observations on social media. Not only for entertainment purposes, Uyen Ninh also uses cultural differences to create an online connection space, helping people from two cultures get closer together, thereby promoting intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding between the Vietnamese and German people.

With over 3.5 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, 3 million subscribers on YouTube, and over 100 million views per month, she has built a massive following in just a few years. In 2023, she was named to YouTube's Creators on the Rise list, confirming her influence in the field of digital content creation.

The exhibition lasts until November 19 at Complex 01, 29 alley 31 lane 167 Tay Son, Hanoi./ .

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/chan-dung-nhung-nguoi-viet-truyen-cam-hung-qua-ong-kinh-nhiep-anh-gia-duc-post1075175.vnp