Le Huu Hieu and his special exhibitions

Le Huu Hieu is the author of the only contemporary art exhibition held on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street (Ho Chi Minh City) during the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Southern Vietnam and the reunification of the country. This is just a part of the many works he has planned to showcase in his special exhibitions.

A large-scale and elaborate construction project on the pedestrian street.

On the occasion of the April 30th anniversary, the exhibition "From the Battle of Bach Dang to the Great Victory of April 30, 1975," featuring 27 large sculptures, 30 wooden stakes, and 39 small sculptures placed on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street, attracted the attention of many viewers, not only because of the scale of the works, but also because of the unique presentation, ideas, and messages about history and national unity that the artists conveyed.

The works in the exhibition are all "gigantic" in size: 27 large statues ranging in height from 3.3m to 4.5m, weighing a total of 20 tons. A lacquer painting, 9.5m long and 4m high, consists of 18 panels and 30 wooden stakes carved with the "Proclamation to the Soldiers," covered in lacquer. The Bach Dang stakes range in height from 5.6m to 9m, weighing approximately 60 tons in total. A single central stake, 9.5m high, is painted red. The statue of the Guardian Deity measures 2m x 4m x 6.5m, weighing approximately 3 tons, and is made from materials such as ceramics, jackfruit wood, and resin.

Construction of the artwork.

The exhibition is a compilation of ideas by artist Le Huu Hieu, including some that have been "stored away" for up to 10 years and are only now being brought out for use.

Le Huu Hieu recounted that in 2010, he had the opportunity to visit the Bach Dang Stake Field in Quang Ninh and was very impressed. “Right then, I thought I had to do something related to this image. However, I hadn't come up with anything yet and ‘put’ the idea aside for later,” the artist shared.

The Bạch Đằng stakes are inscribed with Chinese characters.

Originally an architect, Le Huu Hieu often has ideas that develop over long periods. In 2018, he began searching for materials to create the Bach Dang stakes, after researching original stake samples from the ancient ironwood forest in Kinh Mon. However, to hold the exhibition according to international standards, the works were not allowed to use natural wood but had to be wood from planted forests.

To obtain the exact type of wood needed for the stakes, Le Huu Hieu spent two years, and for him, everything seemed to have happened quite by chance. While visiting Kinh Mon, Hai Duong, Hieu found a type of eucalyptus with twisted leaves and a fragrant scent, which suited his requirements. However, this variety was not very economically viable and therefore not widely cultivated.

In September 2024, he began logging and transporting timber, but that coincided with Typhoon Yagi's landfall in northern Japan.

“When the storm subsided, I returned to the eucalyptus plantation area, only to find everything devastated, nothing left. Luckily, the amount of wood I had transported out the day before was just enough,” Hieu recounted.

The colossal statues made a strong impression at the exhibition.

Regarding the colossal set of 27 statues, ranging in height from 3.3m to 4.5m and weighing a total of 20 tons, Le Huu Hieu had to commission a custom-made mold from an aluminum casting village in Nam Dinh. He explained that this casting technique is based on the technology and long-standing experience of the oldest craftsman in the village.

As for the statue of the Guardian Deity, it is not only a work carrying Lê Hữu Hiếu's personal messages and aspirations, but also a concentration of the finest elements of Vietnamese traditional culture.

To create this statue, the artist and his team soaked jackfruit wood planks in mud, then sawed them, dried them, and painted them glossy black, with the idea of ​​symbolizing the organic yet iron-like strength of the Vietnamese people.

The exhibition also keeps visitors engaged with its historical information and annotations.

The 6-meter-tall sculptures are not arranged in the shape of a specific human being or deity, but rather feature patterns and motifs reminiscent of guardian statues, diamond statues, or monuments where Vietnamese people place their spiritual and religious beliefs.

The most striking feature of the exhibition is the statue of an upside-down tank stuck in a field of stakes. Le Huu Hieu explained that it is a replica of the M24Chaffee tank, which the US provided to France in 1953 and is currently located in the Muong Thanh field, Dien Bien.

The exhibition made a particularly strong impression on viewers. Images from the exhibition went viral on various social media platforms. Some visitors returned with their families. Le Huu Hieu also noted that a high percentage of visitors stayed at the exhibition, not simply taking a few photos and leaving.

Special exhibitions

The exhibition “From the Battle of Bach Dang to the Great Victory of April 30, 1975” is just a part of Le Huu Hieu's vast collection of works, some of which were previously exhibited at the Arsenale di Venezia 2021. He is also the first Asian artist invited by PDG Arte Communications to participate in the 60th Biennale Venezia. The Biennale Venezia, with its 129-year history, is a major exhibition, considered the “Olympics of fine arts”.

Some of the works on display at the Biennale Venezia 2024 include an ancient jackfruit wood house from Northern Vietnam, 12 statues modeled after the tomb of King Khai Dinh, and 5 wooden cages symbolizing the five elements "metal - wood - water - fire - earth," covered with a layer of shimmering golden silk spun and woven by silkworms.

Previously, in 2017, he was invited to participate in the 11th Florence Biennale at Fortezza da Basso - Florence. In October 2021, he held a solo exhibition titled "Energy of the Soul" in Venice. The most significant commonality among these exhibitions is the flow of Vietnamese culture throughout the works, which he tells through the language of art and purely Vietnamese materials such as jackfruit wood, silk, straw hats, tree bark, and resin...

Le Huu Hieu during the construction of the April 30th exhibition.

Currently, Le Huu Hieu is extremely busy preparing for the most special exhibition of the year: the exhibition celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2nd.

He revealed that this will be an unprecedented exhibition, offering viewers unique experiences, showcasing the cultural essence from north to south, the historical roots, the years of fighting to defend the country, and the Declarations of Independence from various historical periods…

The exhibition is scheduled to take place at the National Exhibition Center, Dong Anh, Hanoi.

National pride flows in the Vietnamese blood.

When talking about the works in his exhibition, Le Huu Hieu always admits that he had to do almost everything himself, from sourcing materials, designing, and executing, to painstakingly rediscovering traditional materials that were thought to have long been lost.

"I often feel like a jack-of-all-trades, because I know how to do everything, from carpentry and aluminum casting to silkworm farming and construction... If I don't do it myself, it's difficult to convey the spirit I truly want to in my work," Hieu affirmed.

To achieve these things, it's not just about a passion for art and creativity, a burning desire to conquer every idea that forms in one's mind, but also about the love and pride for the nation that always flows in the artist's veins.

The exhibition "From the Battle of Bach Dang to the Great Victory of April 30, 1975" viewed from above.

It's easy to see that almost all the materials used in his artwork are purely Vietnamese, even traditional materials, such as lac resin, a folk adhesive that he managed to revive and recreate.

I always infuse remembrance, pride, and gratitude into all my works.

Artist Le Huu Hieu

It's also not difficult to see that a strong patriotic spirit is conveyed through the works displayed in his exhibition, from the Bạch Đằng stake field with the tank stuck upside down to the Proclamation to the Soldiers...

“I want to express my gratitude for all the historical periods that the country has gone through, not just simply commemorating specific historical periods. My family has an uncle who was a martyr, and both my parents are war invalids, so I deeply understand the values ​​of today's peaceful life. I always put remembrance, pride, and gratitude into all my works. I realize that people who understand history, who love history, who understand the origins and ancient cultural values ​​will live better lives and value loyalty and righteousness more,” Hieu shared.

Le Huu Hieu was born in 1982 in Nghi Xuan, Ha Tinh province, and currently lives and works in Hanoi.

The solo exhibition "Wearing" in 2014 at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum.

National Fine Arts Exhibition at the National Exhibition Center in 2015.

Attended Spectrum - Miami Art Fair 2016 and Contemporary Art Projects USA 2016.

The solo exhibition "Soul Energy" in Italy in 2021.

The Trio Exhibition at the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts in 2017 participated in the 11th Florence Biennale at Fortezza da Basso – Florence, Italy in 2017.

LINH KHANH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/le-huu-hieu-and-special-exhibitions-post883813.html