written by: News Desk

A special sculpture and installation exhibition titled ‘Overcoming’ is set to begin at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association in Vietnam, exploring new artistic expressions of memory, materiality, and human potential in contemporary sculpture. The exhibition will run from July 31 to August 10.

The highlight of the exhibition is that, despite decades of collaboration in artistic practice and teaching, renowned sculptors Bui Hai Son and Hoang Tuong Minh are presenting a joint exhibition together for the first time. Spanning approximately 450 square meters, the exhibition features 10 artworks with a combined weight of more than 2.2 tons.

The central theme of the exhibition revolves around memory, materials, and the human desire to overcome limitations. The installations, created using metal, wood, glass, scrap materials, plastic mesh, and light, have been arranged in a way that allows the exhibition architecture, lighting, and surrounding space to become integral parts of the artworks themselves.

Bui Hai Son’s ‘Sediments’ series explores the symbolic concept of “seeds.” Using discarded metal objects, shell casings, and scrap materials, the artist does not focus on narratives of war but instead highlights the hidden memories within abandoned materials, their potential for regeneration, and their ability to create new artistic meanings.

Meanwhile, Hoang Tuong Minh’s ‘Unlimited’ series examines the tension, weight, and structural limits of metal. Through his sculptural forms, the artist reflects on human determination, the ability to overcome adversity, and the philosophical journey of breaking personal boundaries.

According to curator Vu Huy Thong, the exhibition is built around two conceptual axes—‘Sediment’ and ‘Unlimited’. One represents layers of accumulated memories from history and life, while the other symbolizes the aspiration to move beyond those memories toward new possibilities. The dialogue between these two artistic approaches creates a journey from the past to the future and from limitations to freedom.

To enhance the immersive experience, the artists collaborated with lighting designers to develop a special lighting concept and exhibition layout. As a result, visitors will not only observe individual sculptures but also experience the relationship between light, architecture, and materials.

Born in 1957, Bui Hai Son, and born in 1962, Hoang Tuong Minh are both significant figures in Vietnamese contemporary sculpture. Their previous solo exhibitions, including ‘Apocalypse’ and ‘Reverse Pressure’, have received considerable attention in the art community for their distinctive artistic visions.

Therefore, ‘Overcoming’ is not merely an exhibition of more than 2.2 tons of sculptural materials; it is a meeting point of two unique artistic philosophies, where memory, materials, and human aspirations come together to create a new dialogue in contemporary sculpture.

Source: vietnam.vn