"Dong Ho Painting Circus" - an interesting variation
One notable highlight of the recent trend towards modernizing Dong Ho paintings is the "Dong Ho Painting Circus" art program organized by the Vietnam Circus Federation in collaboration with the Dong Ho Folk Painting Preservation Center. This activity is part of the "Awakening to Heritage" project, in which second and third-year students from the Diplomatic Academy apply their event management knowledge to build a model for revitalizing heritage through the creative thinking of the younger generation.
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Dong Ho folk painters use the language of movement in their artwork on the circus stage. |
Student Nguyen Tat Dat, Head of the Organizing Committee for the "Awakening with Heritage" project, shared: "The creation of 'Dong Ho Painting Circus' is a creative effort to bring heritage out of the quiet exhibition space so that familiar values can be retold in a new, more vivid, relatable, and accessible language for a wider audience. If circus is the art of movement, flexibility, and physical emotion, then Dong Ho painting is the crystallization of folk artistic thinking, reflecting aspirations for a harmonious, prosperous, and humane life. The meeting of these two seemingly very different art forms has created a unique and fascinating experience."
The highlight of "Dong Ho Painting Circus" is the performances "Memories of Ho Village" and "The Story of the Ti Family," featuring highly artistic acts. Classic Dong Ho paintings are expressed through the language of circus arts, cleverly incorporating acrobatics, balancing, and juggling techniques to personify folk characters, transforming the stage into a vibrant artistic space where traditional values and modern aesthetic emotions intertwine and blend.
In the context of profoundly changing aesthetic tastes, cultural reception methods, and art appreciation spaces, Dong Ho paintings also face the need for "renewal." Therefore, creative experiments and new variations of Dong Ho paintings, though just initial steps, are contributing to bringing this heritage from traditional exhibition spaces to cultural experiences, theater, education , and digital platforms, opening up possibilities for deeper connections with the public, especially the younger generation and the international audience. |
Enjoying the entire 90-minute performance with a sense of discovery and curiosity, Nguyen Duong Ninh, a young man from Tu Son ward, was moved: "I was extremely surprised to see Dong Ho paintings being explored using a novel circus language. The tranquil characters stepping out of the paper frames and being brought to life with movements such as rope swinging, acrobatics, and juggling on the circus stage surprised me and made me appreciate even more the beauty and value of this world heritage of my homeland."
Having dedicated his life to preserving his ancestors' craft and being invited to share the history of the Dong Ho painting village, its techniques, and the artistic philosophy of his forefathers within the framework of the "Dong Ho Painting Circus" project, Meritorious Artisan Nguyen Huu Qua (Dong Khe residential area, Thuan Thanh ward) was deeply moved and expressed his joy and happiness at seeing young people cherish traditional cultural heritage. He also highly appreciated the creativity and dedication of the young people in implementing the project and telling the story of heritage in a new language.
Along with the central performance, "Dong Ho Painting Circus" also expands access to the heritage through a series of side activities such as Foto flicker (automatic camera), launching photo frames inspired by typical Dong Ho folk paintings such as "Dragon Procession," "Returning Home in Glory," "Blindfolded Goat Catching," etc., spreading images of Dong Ho paintings widely on social media and reaching millions of young people aged 18-25.
The "spirit" of Mai village paintings in the breath of contemporary art.
With its unique and distinctive cultural values, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, Dong Ho folk paintings have become a source of creative inspiration in many aspects of life such as fashion, painting, music, games, etc. Recently, the content, motifs, and spirit of Dong Ho paintings have increasingly appeared on postcards made of Do paper, notebooks made of Diep paper, souvenirs, ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), interior decoration, stage design, and more.
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Dong Ho folk painting artists perform on the circus stage. |
Collaborative projects between heritage and brands, such as the "Modernizing Dong Ho paintings with Highlands Coffee" project, have brought folk art into public spaces, making it more accessible to young people and opening up a natural and familiar form of aesthetic engagement. Some young artists have also proactively approached the heritage from their own creative perspectives, recreating Dong Ho paintings on new materials and integrating them into designs for fabric bags, calendars, notebooks, red envelopes, screens, etc.
Not confined to the traditional woodblock prints or decorative designs, Dong Ho paintings are also "reinterpreted" using various contemporary art languages such as game creation, ballet, and classical music. In 2023, dancers from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Theatre also "reinterpreted" paintings like "Coconut Harvesting," "Mouse Wedding," "Jealousy," and "Returning Home in Glory" with graceful and fluid dance movements in the "Dong Ho Ballet." These bold variations affirm the diversity and multifaceted nature of Dong Ho woodblock prints, while also demonstrating that the heritage cannot sustainably survive if it remains unchanged and unchanging.
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Dong Ho paintings are used to decorate bedside lamps. |
Regarding the modernization of Dong Ho folk paintings, Professor and Doctor Tu Thi Loan, a member of the National Heritage Council, once expressed her belief: Based on respect for the original values, the modernization of Dong Ho paintings will have practical significance for preserving and revitalizing the heritage in today's and future. Dong Ho paintings, with their simple, optimistic beauty, embodying the age-old aspirations of the Vietnamese people, have lived, are living, and will continue to live through time...
In the context of profoundly changing aesthetic tastes, cultural reception methods, and art appreciation spaces, Dong Ho paintings also face the need for "renewal." Therefore, creative experiments and new variations of Dong Ho paintings, though just initial steps, are contributing to bringing this heritage from traditional exhibition spaces to cultural experiences, theater, education, and digital platforms, opening up possibilities for deeper connections with the public, especially the younger generation and the international audience.
Text and photos: Thuan Thao
Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/tranh-dong-ho-khuc-bien-tau-ngoai-khung-giay-diep-postid436860.bbg
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