Sewing, dyeing... what do these things reveal?

Originating from the idea of ​​"queer house, sewing room" and specific ways of dealing with materials and techniques such as dyeing and sewing, this exhibition explores how women and mothers "sew and knit" by hand to cherish and care for their family life.

Viewers interact in the "Pay Attention" room (a room for chatting with clothes).

Furthermore, this project also contributes to tracing the remnants of the once-domesticated community economy , such as silk reeling and weaving workshops, and export-oriented garment and embroidery cooperatives.

In addition, participants also have the opportunity to explore unique crafts and hobbies, aiming to promote a slower pace of life amidst the fast-paced, busy, and hectic rhythm of modern life.

Rice string and thread by Le Tu Anh

Here, hand-dyed artworks (by Pham Ngoc Lan) and hand-embroidered artworks (by Nguyen Quoc Thanh) are on display, reflecting the spirit of traditional crafts and bringing to life the rhythms of sunshine and wind, and the dance of the fingers...

Experimenting with different manipulations on objects (Nguyen Bang Giang, Linh Linh) and clothing bearing the imprint of the past also invites viewers to come closer, reach out, touch, fold, exchange shapes, and follow the rhythm.

Cardboard (Do Thanh Tam), rice - thread (Le Tu Anh), dissolving paper (Vu Thanh Binh), tights (Nguyen Bao Chau), rice grains (Dao Anh Khoi), fabric (Nguyen Quoc Thanh), velcro (Nguyen Hong Nhung)... all seem to want to converse with the viewers.

From there, accessories and garment products are increasingly interwoven with experiences, gender complexes, the female body and spirit, and queer (those who are not heterosexual or individuals perceived as masculine women or feminine men).

A performance of resonant wood carving by artist Pham Ngoc Lan

This project is organized by Queer Forever! in collaboration with Bà Bầu Air and Nhà Sàn Collective, as part of the “Queer Ideas” program initiated and funded by the Goethe Institute Hanoi . The program is curated by Nguyễn Quốc Thành.

Sharing about the project, curator and artist Nguyen Quoc Thanh said: "The project started with the idea that the artists wanted to create a 'queer house' with many rooms. The idea of ​​a house is actually very common in Vietnam, so we decided to open a workshop like a sewing room. When the body interacts with clothes, I feel that the clothes are like 'templates' and the body reacts to that in different ways, from different perspectives. Therefore, the 'queer house' project also reflects the desire for movement, not for fixed locations."

Nguyen Quoc Thanh is a co-founder of Nha San Collective in Hanoi.

In 2013, he started Queer Forever!, an ongoing project involving community participation in forms such as mobile cinemas, living spaces, kitchens, meeting places, learning spaces, and art studios.

In 2019, Thanh produced "The Wonderful Land of Jasmine Gardens, " which included screenings, discussions, and the compilation of publications about Vietnamese queer cinema.

In 2022, Thanh collaborated to open a queer house called ưhưh22 as part of the Nhà Sàn Collective's Ben project at documenta15, Kassel, Germany.

The idea of ​​a queer house welcoming everyone will continue to be implemented in Hanoi from 2023 to 2025 with the support of the Goethe Institute Hanoi within the framework of the Queer Ideas program.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/may-va-nhuom-noi-len-dieu-gi-185250112082317089.htm