Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Thi Thanh Thuy:

In recent years, the Vietnamese art market, especially in three key areas such as film, painting, and live music, has been gradually developing, initially meeting domestic demand and reaching out to the world, but many bottlenecks and obstacles still remain.

This is also a research topic of the Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism (VICAST). HanoiMoi newspaper had an interview with Associate Professor Dr. Do Thi Thanh Thuy, Head of the Cultural Research Department of VICAST and the project leader, about the noteworthy points surrounding this issue.

- Professor Do Thi Thanh Thuy! Accessing the art market in the context of promoting the cultural industry today is an essential requirement, yet also a completely new one for Vietnam. How do you assess this statement?

- The art market is a crucial component of the creative economy , the first core of the concept of "cultural industries." In Vietnam, over the years, the Party and State have had many policies and orientations on the development of cultural industries. Resolution No. 03-NQ/TW (5th Conference of the Central Committee of the 8th Party Congress) outlined "Economic Policy in Culture" and "Cultural Policy in the Economy"; Resolution 33-NQ/TW (9th Conference of the Central Committee of the 11th Party Congress) set the goal of "building a healthy cultural market, promoting the development of cultural industries, and strengthening the promotion of Vietnamese culture." The Strategy for the Development of Vietnam's Cultural Industries until 2020, with a vision to 2030, has affirmed that cultural industries are an important component of the national economy... It must be said that, through this, the general awareness of the entire society regarding the development of cultural industries has been significantly raised.

As one of the core elements of the cultural industry, the art market has a positive impact on socio-economic development, creating a ripple effect of values, promoting innovation, contributing to the preservation and promotion of cultural identity, and enhancing the nation's "soft power" in the context of globalization. The art market can generate direct revenue while also opening up new markets and promoting supporting industries such as tourism , food and beverage, shopping, design, media, advertising, insurance, and logistics, making art a part of the creative economy. It also creates livelihoods, improves the quality of life, and promotes social inclusion.

This field is particularly important because it profoundly impacts the soul, mind, thinking, emotions, and worldview of each individual. We grow up with songs, melodies, poems, stories... The literary and artistic works we love lead us into other worlds, while simultaneously creating cultural products and services related to food, clothing, housing, transportation... that we consume and experience every day.

In recent years, the Vietnamese art market has been flooded with imported cultural products. Therefore, identifying, researching, and understanding the dynamics of the domestic art market, and subsequently implementing appropriate policy interventions to strengthen its internal capacity while simultaneously conquering the global market, is of paramount importance. This aims towards the sustainable, modern, and distinctive development of the Vietnamese art market.

- Yes, most recently Resolution 57-NQ/TW "acknowledges the potential and role of culture as an economic driving force in the digital age." In your opinion, how has this Resolution impacted the art market and research on this market?

- Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW dated December 22, 2024, of the Politburo, while not directly mentioning the "art market," has raised awareness of the importance of building institutional foundations and digital infrastructure (data, digital platforms, legal framework on intellectual property, digital transactions, etc.), helping to guide the formation and expansion of online art transaction models, digital exhibitions, and databases on artworks and artists. This simultaneously creates a new space for art market research with access to richer data sources and the application of interdisciplinary research methods (combining art studies, economics, data science, law, etc.).

However, the process of digitalization and commercialization also poses the risk of increasing the commoditization, standardizing aesthetics, and concentrating power in large platforms, raising many critical questions about the autonomy and social role of art. Therefore, Resolution 57 both opens up opportunities for the development and research of the art market and highlights the urgent need to approach this field with critical, comprehensive theoretical frameworks from multiple perspectives and approaches, including debates on "cultural and creative industries," cultural economics, and the art market.

Visitors viewing the exhibition "100 Years of Modern Art" at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. Photo: Vu Minh

- Approaching a new, complex problem is bound to present many difficulties, isn't it, Madam?

- Studying the art market is a very difficult and complex issue. The art market shares similarities with the market for ordinary goods, but also possesses unique characteristics. Artistic goods differ from ordinary economic goods in that they possess both cultural and economic value; however, the relationship between these two values, while correlating, is not always identical. In many cases, artistic value can coexist and integrate, helping to boost economic value, but at the same time, in many other cases, cultural/artistic value can remain independent. Therefore, this is a complex, dynamic, and imperfect relationship.

The risky and unpredictable nature of the market is also a point to consider: The values ​​of the art market can be greatly influenced by the multifaceted interactions between public demand and taste, the power of intermediaries, social capital, symbolic capital, etc., rather than adhering to transparent economic principles.

Art market research must stand at the intersection of theories and multifaceted epistemological reflections on art, politics, and commerce... facing numerous challenges such as value and price, artistic logic and economic logic, the dynamics of the value chain in the context of digitalization and science and technology, the complexity of the creative ecosystem...

- Based on the initial research findings of this project in three areas: painting, film, and organizing live music programs and events, what trends do you predict will develop in these fields?

- The Vietnamese art market is a highly promising and dynamic market. Currently, Vietnam possesses a vast domestic market of over 100 million people, with 50% of the population under 40 years old. This group, born in the post-war era, represents a consumer base with strong purchasing power, especially in an increasingly innovative business environment.

Furthermore, many young talents, capable of digitalization, globally connected, and passionate about producing and marketing cultural and artistic products and services, have emerged, becoming a crucial human resource for the development of the domestic art market. The art ecosystem is also expanding rapidly, with increasingly完善 cultural infrastructure and professional networks.

I believe that with the convergence of economic, political, and cultural factors, the addition and improvement of appropriate mechanisms and policies, the enhancement of the quality and effectiveness of state management, and the establishment and synchronization of interconnected elements, structures, and value chains, the Vietnamese art market will soon rise strongly in the near future.

Thank you very much, Madam!

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/pgs-ts-do-thi-thanh-thuy-thi-truong-nghe-thuat-viet-nam-se-som-troi-day-manh-me-725994.html