Affirming the role of literature and art in the city named after Uncle Ho

In early June, the City People's Committee will organize a review of 50 years of Ho Chi Minh City's literature and arts after the country's reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025) and a series of events "Ho Chi Minh City Literature and Arts Days" with many exciting cultural activities. The events taking place not only mark historical milestones but also affirm the role of the city's literature and arts in actively contributing to the struggle for national liberation through typical literary and artistic works.

According to Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the City Party Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong, over the past 50 years, literary and artistic activities have always preserved and promoted traditions, pioneered in the process of integration, creativity, formed the city's unique features and created certain achievements. The city has always paid attention to the work of building forces, focusing on investing in literature and art. Literary and artistic activities have their own unique characteristics along with the richness and diversity in the activities of the Union of Literature and Art Associations and the mass cultural and artistic movements.

As one of the professional associations with many outstanding activities, the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association has always made its mark in each stage of development. Professor, Doctor, Sculptor Nguyen Xuan Tien, Chairman of the Association, said that the association was officially established in 1981. In 1986, the Party and the State advocated the issuance of an open-door policy, creating conditions for the economic, political , social, literary and artistic fields to begin to transform and develop in the direction of openness and integration. The memorable point of fine arts during this period was that fine arts exhibitions began to have new vitality with many solo exhibitions; many exchange exhibitions between Vietnam and the world; many young Vietnamese artists won international awards and many international art collectors came to Vietnam to start the art market, creating many changes in the lives of artists. From 1975 to 2025, the Fine Arts Association has clearly demonstrated its creativity and professional artistic activities, actively contributing to the development of literature and art in the city in particular and Vietnam in general.

It can be seen that over the past 50 years, artists have made important contributions to reflecting the process of national liberation struggle as well as the construction and development of the city. Through literary, musical , cinematic, painting and theatrical works, artists have not only recreated important historical milestones but also aroused patriotism and the desire for peace among the people. Literature and art are not only a mirror reflecting history but also a driving force for the development of the city. The contributions of artists do not stop at preserving national memories but also inspire and orient humanistic values for future generations.

However, despite many achievements, the city's literature and arts still have many limitations. According to the assessment of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the City Party Committee, the number of works is increasing but there are still few large, prestigious and valuable literary and artistic works. Creation is still following the old path, without strong innovation; new works have not reflected social reality in a typical way and have not touched the common emotions of the community; the number of valuable works of the city introduced abroad is not much. The operation of literary and artistic activities of public agencies is still in the old way, not paying attention to communication work. Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the City Party Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong also said that some artists have shown signs of avoiding political issues, policies and orientations of the Party and State, pursuing small, trivial topics that do not have educational value, and one-sidedly emphasizing the entertainment function. Some low-quality, vulgar, and offensive products are released and spread on social networks, causing harm and negative influence on the public, especially the young generation; negatively impacting the public's ideology and aesthetics...

In the period when the country is entering the era of national development, the city needs to make breakthroughs in all fields, including the cultural field. Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of the city Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy said that the city has a great role and responsibility in contributing to the development of the country's literature and arts. With the orientation of developing the city into a global city, the development of literature and arts on the basis of digital technology is one of the leading trends. The project "Developing the Cultural Industry of Ho Chi Minh City to 2030" needs to link the goal of developing the cultural industry with the orientation of building a creative city. Joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of cinema is considered an important step to elevate the city to become a global city, participating in the network of megacities and contributing to the development of a creative and sustainable economy of the country, the region and the world.

The 50-year milestone of literature and art is both a mark of patriotism for the previous generation of artists and a message to those who hold the future of literature and art today. This is the mission of the artist - soldier. With the strong development of science, technology and global cultural exchange, artists need to continue to innovate their creative thinking, live and devote themselves to keeping up with the trend of the times; thereby continuing to promote their role in the sustainable development of Ho Chi Minh City - the Heroic City.

BAO LINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/khang-dinh-vai-tro-van-hoc-nghe-thuat-thanh-pho-mang-ten-bac-post883895.html