French-Vietnamese artist Hanae Bossert: Connecting memories with reality

In the memory of French-Vietnamese sound producer Hanae Bossert, Vietnam is first and foremost a land woven from the stories of her grandmother.

Those memories also reflect a Vietnam of the 1950s. For Hanae Bossert’s grandmother, Vietnam is both idealized and extremely concrete. The village roads, houses, dishes, accents and names all become pieces for her to hold on to her memories of her homeland. Even though she lives far away, Hanae Bossert’s grandmother always longs to return to her roots.

In her stories, she talks a lot about her mother, her sisters, and the neighbors in the village where she grew up. Through those memories, Hanae Bossert does not imagine a vast “Vietnam” but feels a specific, small but extremely profound “Vietnamese life”. For Hanae Bossert, Vietnam is a spiritual heritage that she passed on through words.

However, when she had the opportunity to return to Vietnam, the French artist of Vietnamese origin realized the huge gap between her aunt's memories and the reality she experienced. If her Vietnam was a place with many rural features, stretching with changes and separations in the chaos and war, the Vietnam that Hanae Bossert experienced was lively, modern, full of energy and youthfulness. In particular, the contrast between the idyllic scenery in Hai Phong (Hanae Bossert's hometown) and the strong, vibrant pace of life in Ho Chi Minh City left a deep impression on her.

In all three times she returned to Vietnam (the first time to follow her grandmother, the second time to bring her grandmother back for burial, and most recently as part of the Villa Saigon artist-in-residence program), Hanae Bossert did not consider herself a tourist. The trips were related to family, loss, or artistic creation, making her relationship with Vietnam always contain private, inseparable emotions.

Although her actual experiences are far from her grandmother’s, Hanae Bossert still feels the echoes of her family memories in every dish and every word. For her, Vietnam today is a place where the past and present constantly intersect. It is this subtle transition that has become a lasting source of inspiration for her creative work, a way for her to connect the threads of her grandmother’s memories.

Hanae Bossert (3rd from left) at a live illustration event organized by the French Institute in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: French Institute in Vietnam

From that memory, Hanae Bossert’s artistic journey with Vietnam has become increasingly diverse. The comic book project – tentatively titled Annamite, adapted from the podcast Ma Tonkinoise – is one of the most important works she is working on. This is not only a storytelling project, but also a dialogue between two worlds , the French-Vietnamese heritage and her personal experience in the process of discovering her grandmother’s homeland.

Researching for the project opened her up to countless meaningful encounters with artists, historians, teachers, journalists and many other Vietnamese people. These relationships gradually turned into friendships and artistic collaborations, helping her feel connected to Vietnam not only through blood but also through its vibrant creative community.

The Ma Tonkinoise podcast is a soundscape where Hanae Bossert delves into the overlapping memories of the two lands. The success of the podcast has led her to want to continue exploring the topic in other forms. Hanae Bossert is considering a film project that could accompany the publication of Annamite.

During her artistic residency in Ho Chi Minh City, workshops with Vietnamese artists and meetings with students from the Marguerite Duras French International School brought Hanae Bossert strong inspiration. These activities helped her build a network of connections with artists and young people in Vietnam. She hopes to continue expanding workshops and organizing more frequent cultural exchange and connection programs.

For Hanae Bossert, between memory and present, between art and life, Vietnam is where she found a part of her identity.

The Ma Tonkinoise podcast was launched in 2024, inspired by the French-Vietnamese memories of the Hanae Bossert family. Ma Tonkinoise won the SCAM documentary award at the Paris Podcast, received funding from the French Ministry of Culture and was warmly received by the public.

On November 22, within the framework of the Villa Saigon artist-in-residence program organized by the French Institute in Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanae Bossert participated in a live illustration session. Based on postcards, documents and photos of Hanae Bossert's family, the artists participating in the event transformed them into works of art.

DO VAN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nghe-si-phap-goc-viet-hanae-bossert-noi-nhung-soi-day-ky-uc-voi-thuc-tai-post826195.html