"EYES SLUMBERING OPENED: HÀ MẠNH THẮNG'S STUDIES ON LANDSCAPE"
The exhibition offers a glimpse into the artistic journey of Hà Mạnh Thắng, showcasing a curated selection of works by fellow artists that Thắng has collected over the years. These works, akin to milestones, trace Thắng's ongoing inquiry into and redefinition of the landscape – a vision that has come to define his artistic practice.
"A hundred-year lifespan in this earthly world is just an open-eye dream."
Nguyễn Du
Throughout art history, the landscape has served as an enduring wellspring of inspiration, with its resonances particularly profound in the context of Asian culture. Often encapsulated in the concept of 'shanshui', landscape here is imbued with deep Taoist/Daoist connotations, evoking imagery and motifs that transcend the mere act of seeing, giving rise to a spatial realm where all things exist in a state of invisible resonance – oscillating between stillness and movement, the visible and the imagined, the ephemeral and the enduring presence of history and memory. Hà Mạnh Thắng’s practice resides within this intersection, and through years of exploration, his aesthetic has been shaped and reshaped by the evolving understanding of what landscape truly signifies.
Drawing inspiration from the contemplative poetics of Nguyễn Du, whose verses ruminate on the transience of existence as an "open-eye dream", Eyes Slumbering Opened revisits key moments in Thắng’s perception of landscape, wherein the act of viewing becomes analogous to dreaming. Enveloped by these artworks, Thắng experiences an intense emotional surge, catalysing a delicate internal reverberation. The exhibition does not confine itself to the conventional notion of landscape; instead, it presents landscape as a state of consciousness – a vast spectrum of observation that extends beyond the physical. Here, landscape is not merely scenery; it is the flow of time, the inner workings of the human mind, the intricate dance of elements within an ecosystem, or even something elusive, an invisible or metaphysical presence that lingers just out of sight.
This exhibition also resonates with The Outpost’s 2024 thematic focus on 'peerage', reflecting on the ways in which individuals and organisations within an ecosystem nurture and uplift one another by recognising and valuing the creative labour of their peers. Through this lens, Eyes Slumbering Opened becomes a testament to the shared bonds that sustain and enrich the artistic community.
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The Outpost would like to express our deepest gratitude to all participating artists, and to artist Hà Mạnh Thắng for generously sharing his collection with the public.
* Exhibition conception: Hà Mạnh Thắng & The Outpost
* Identity Design: Studio DUY
* Identity Application: Thuỷ Mẫn
* Exhibition Production Team: Dương Dương, Mai Minh Design & Construction Company, Trần Tùng, Hoàng Anh, Hương Ly, Cá Con, Hải Châu, Đan Nguyễn, em Hiển, cô Nga, and The Outpost's attendants & volunteers
* Ambient sound: Quảng Khổng
* Translation: Lê Thuận Uyên, Ngân, Tú Anh
* Partners: Unios, museumtechnik, Haki Sound Studio
The exhibition would not be possible without the unwavering trust and support from Founder CEO Ariel Phạm and the entire team at The Outpost.
Duration: from August 27 to November 11, 2024
Opening hours: 10AM - 8PM, Tuesday to Sunday (closed on Monday)
Location: The Outpost Art Organisation, Roman Plaza Tower B1 (Floor 2), To Huu, Hanoi
Entrance tickets: available at The Outpost’s reception desk (024.2226.6888)
Free entry when visitors check-in on social media or rate us on Google Reviews (valid until Sep 14, 2024)