British Council Vietnam Arts Gala catalogue by British Council

Table of contents

OVERTURE

How to Bid Mission Statement British Council Introduction

p. 7 p. 9 p. 11

ACT I – Live Auction

Aaron Joel Santos Lionel Descostes Jamie Maxtone-Graham Dinh Cong Dat Pham Huy Thong Sandrine Llouquet Pham Huy Thong Ha Manh Thang Pham Luan Diep Quy Hai Dinh Cong Dat Ly Tran Quynh Giang Nguyen Minh Thanh Truong Tan Ly Tran Quynh Giang Nguyen Minh Thanh Nguyen Thi Chinh Le Nguyen Manh Hung

p. 12 p. 14 p. 16 p. 18 p. 20 p. 22 p. 24 p. 26 p. 28 p. 30 p. 32 p. 34 p. 36 p. 38 p. 40 p. 42 p. 44 p. 46

ACT II – WHO ARE WE?

Betty Bui, The Bui Gallery Suzanne Lecht, Art Vietnam Gallery

p. 48 p. 49

EPILOGUE

Auction Information Conditions of Business Absentee Bid Form Artists Index

p. 50 p. 52 p. 54 p. 56

Event Details Cocktail: 6.30 p.m. Dinner/Auction: 7.30 p.m. - onwards Preview Opening reception: 6.30 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. 1st October, 2010 Exhibition: 1st October – 9th October The Bui Gallery, 23 Ngo Van So Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam Everyday 11.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. How to bid? Live Auction 10th October 2010 Conducted by Phil Whittaker, Director, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Singapore, during 'British Council Arts Gala', Hanoi. Lots 1 – 18 inclusive, described on p.12 - p.46 of this catalogue, will be sold in the live auction. Absentee Bidders If you are unable to attend the evening but would like to bid for any of the works, please fill out the absentee bid form on p.54 and return it to the British Council (as detailed on the form). In the event of tied bids, priority will be given to the first received. Absentee bids can be submitted up until 5.00 p.m. on Friday, 8th October, 2010, but we would advise submitting them at your earliest convenience. Preview Exhibition 1st October – 9th October The Bui Gallery, 23 Ngo Van So Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam Everyday 11.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. British Council Arts Auction & Gala Sunday, 10th October, 2010 at Métropole Hotel, La Véranda, 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi By invitation only Reception: 6.30 p.m. Dinner/Auction: 7.30 p.m. - onwards For tickets and more information contact Ha Thien Ha: ha.ha@britishcouncil.org.vn +84 (0)4 3728 1920 (Ext. 1954)

Bui Gallery – British Council Arts Gala Mission Statement In celebration of Hanoi’s one thousand year anniversary in October 2010, the British Council and the Bui Gallery join together to promote and support contemporary art in Vietnam. The auction will feature works donated by some of Vietnam’s most impressive local and international artists and from the Ford Foundation’s esteemed collection. The funds raised from the auction and gala will go towards the British Council’s Contemporary Arts Fund, which gives individual artist grants, runs workshops for local and international artists, improves local exhibition and cultural spaces and gives Vietnamese artists access to training and residency abroad. This Arts Auction and Gala will be the first of its kind in Hanoi; it is a milestone we are proud to reach. Bui Gallery and British Council, in collaboration with Art Vietnam Gallery, Ford Foundation, British Embassy, British Business Group of Vietnam and Sofitel Metropole Hotel Hanoi hope through the fund, we are able encourage the development of contemporary art in Vietnam.

The British Council is proud to be able to offer you this exciting collection of Vietnamese contemporary artworks. We hope that you will bid high for an opportunity to own some of the best visual arts pieces that Vietnam has to offer, from a wide selection of the best artists in Vietnam. Funds raised from this event will provide a grant fund to develop up and coming artists in Vietnam. The British Council would like to extend our special thanks to all the artists and the Ford Foundation who have donated their artwork for this auction. We believe that your support will help further strengthen the creativity of young talent and further contribute to the development and recognition of the importance of contemporary art in Vietnam. We couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have done this without you! We are also very grateful to our partners and sponsors for making this event happen. They are Ford Foundation, Bui Gallery, Art Vietnam Gallery, British Business Group Vietnam, the British Embassy and UK Trade and Investment.

Simon Beardow Deputy Director British Council Vietnam

11 11

Lot 1 AARON JOEL SANTOS (b. 1979) Whither the Past Digital print 101.6 x 67.7 cm 2009 $1,000 - $2,000/ €790 – €1,580/ 19,500,000 VND – 39,000,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist Exhibitions: Days and Nights, The Bui Gallery, Hanoi 2010

Primarily a documentary photographer, Aaron Joel Santos’s forays into fine art work always meet high praise. His black and white photographs of Hanoi’s ever-changing urban landscape bring out the poetry and prose inherent in the vibrant life of the city. Aaron finds inspiration in all the contradiction in Hanoi and its stance, one foot shrouded in tradition and the other racing recklessly forward. Urban farming is perhaps one of the most striking examples of this dichotomy; And Whither the Past shows us this world up close. Much is iconic in this image – Long Bien Bridge, green fields, conical hats, bicycles – but there remains something haunting and real underneath the surface. The bridge used to be a symbol of strength, but now it suffers from neglect and its once fertile fields suffer along with it. That tragic underlying truth asserts itself in this photograph. Aaron’s use of black and white does not evoke a frozen past, but rather a frank present where Hanoi is becoming itself, over and over.

AARON JOEL SANTOS Whither the Past

Lot 2 LIONEL DESCOSTES (b. 1966) Days in Hanoi Hand embroidery on taffeta 77 x 73 cm 2008 $1,000 - $2,000/ €790 – €1,580/ 19,500,000 VND – 39,000,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist

LIONEL DESCOSTES Days in Hanoi

It is a rare artist who spends ten years on one series, and focuses on almost nothing else during that time. Lionel Descostes is that man. Each of the over 200 individual works he created during his decade in Hanoi is lovingly hand embroidered with a special single-thread technique. This painstaking attention to detail coupled with the deep questions that the artist explores here about anonymity make his works stand out from the rest. Descostes’s grids are not traditional. They quickly move off their normal rigid structure, forming what he calls “asymmetries, anomalies and empty spaces.” Each grid takes on a life of its own, as each stroke adds a layer and sets up the next one. Through this work, we can look at ourselves and our world in a new way, where things are unsure and anonymous, but somehow still deeply human.

Lot 3 JAMIE MAXTONE-GRAHAM (b. 1957) Two women while working Gelatin silver print 50 x 76 cm 2009 $1,000 - $2,000/ €790 – €1,580/ 19,500,000 VND – 39,000,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist Exhibitions: Days and Nights, The Bui Gallery, Hanoi 2010

Jamie Maxtone-Graham has long had an interest in the everyday and its beauty. The series When Evening Comes: Night Market Portraits was borne of Jamie’s desire to see the world that awakens every evening beneath the Long Bien Bridge and to show us those characters in an honest light. In this series, he brings the aesthetic of a photography studio to the night market, where serious portrait photographers rarely tread. The result is arresting. The characters of the night market come alive within their frames, gazing outwards defiantly or warmly, as suits their personalities. Jamie creates a window into these people’s lives and their world, a world that is rarely illuminated. In Two women while working, comrades grasp each other, inhabiting the frame as one, and two. There is a strong sense of togetherness in this image; two women work together, stand together and share their lives as they share a portrait. The beauty in the everyday comes alive in the stance, gaze and life of these two women working.

JAMIE MAXTONE-GRAHAM Two women while working

Lot 4 DINH CONG DAT (b. 1966) Masks Positive (4) Wood, fiberglass, lacquer and newsprint 30 x 24cm 2003 – 2008 $1,000 - $2,000/ €790 – €1,580/ 19,500,000 VND – 39,000,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam DINH CONG DAT Masks Positive (4)

Dinh Cong Dat is one of the most widely recognized and experimental Vietnamese sculptors in the country. Dat always pushes beyond the realm of expectation into a unique space where imagination and reality intertwine producing imaginative and provocative effects. The Mask series, produced between 2002-2008, and displaying both kitsch and Pop influences, perfectly illustrates the artist’s light-hearted humour and art’s suitability for exploring the humorous side of daily life. Using materials like lacquer, papier-mâché, acrylic composite, newspaper and glossy magazines, Dat’s masks alternate between concave negative or convex positive Buddha faces placed within wooden box frames of either smooth colourful finish or parched fractured surfaces. Much of Dat’s work involves a play on dichotomies and the masks are no exception. The two representations of Buddha are diametrically opposed yet sit harmoniously together. The presence of popular imagery collaged to create unreal landscapes next to the evocation of golden tradition describes the relation between self and society. Moreover, the unique detailing of each image of Buddha expresses the unique beauty inherent in every being.

Lot 5 PHAM HUY THONG (b. 1981) I am positive that this plan with be victorious! Oil on canvas 60 x 60cm 2009 $1,000 - $3,000/ €787 – €2,362/ 19,455,000 VND – 58,365,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist

The clever observer Pham Huy Thong paints his version of contemporary Vietnam. In the Dong Bao series, where both of these works were born, that contemporary Vietnam struggles with its past and present. Dong Bao, or Children from the Same Womb, explores the history of Vietnam from its creation myth through centuries of war and strife to its current economic rise. In the series, the inhabitants of the same womb act out iconic scenes from Vietnamese history and contemporary life. I am sure that this plan will be victorious! replaces Lady Liberty’s crown with the tentacles of an octopus, indicating the wide and perhaps invasive influence of this person’s positivity. In Portrait of Liberty (p.24), Thong replaces those same crown spokes with fingers pointing in all directions. Is this an insinuation that liberty is being interpreted, and can go in many different directions? Pham Huy Thong takes familiar symbols and uses them to ask questions of ourselves and our world.

PHAM HUY THONG I am positive that this plan with be victorious!

Lot 6 SANDRINE LLOUQUET (b. 1975) Untitled (2) Pencil, watercolor, gouache, chinese ink on Do paper 40 x 60 cm 2008 $2,000 - $4,000/ €1,575 – €3,150/ 38,910,000 VND - 77,820,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist Exhibitions: Who Do You Think We Are?, The Bui Gallery, Hanoi, 2009

SANDRINE LLOUQUET Untitled (2)

At the heart of the drawings of Sandrine Llouquet lives a human with a story, alive in a dreamlike world. The figures, often not fully formed, navigate an uncertain world. Her works confront a fundamental division of the being; we also see the character shift between and explore multiple identities. In this work, Untitled (2), the girl ‘s mouth has been removed and transformed. Denied her ability to speak, she uses her new “mouth” as a flute and so is still able to communicate musically. So in harmony with her surroundings, the girl adapts to her fluid and fluxuating world. The flowers on her shirt follow suit, by growing out from her and into the space around. Llouquet wonders about the life of the uprooted. Herself part of the Vietnamese Diaspora, she is fascinated by identity. And so her characters feel their way through an uncertain and changing world, searching for theirs.

Lot 7 PHAM HUY THONG (b. 1981) Portrait of Liberty Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm 2009 $1,500 - $4,000/ €1,185 – €3,161/ 29,250,000 VND – 78,000,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist

PHAM HUY THONG Portrait of Liberty

Lot 8 HA MANH THANG (b. 1980) Traditional Beauty Acrylic on canvas 48 x 70 cm 2010 $2,000 - $5,000/ €1,580 – €3,951/ 39,000,000 VND – 97,500,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist

HA MANH THANG Traditional Beauty

The unusual use of color is one of the most striking aspects of the paintings of Ha Manh Thang. Boldy mixing red, gold, neon and soft blue against a black background, he tricks the viewer’s eye into moving back and forth between color and form. Thang also pays close attention to history in his works, evoking historical monuments and characters drawn from older paintings and photographs who emerge in many of his paintings, dressed to suit each situation. In Traditional Beauty, we see roses, beams of sunlight, a mountainous landscape and a soft faced woman, all signs of beauty as it has been understood for millenia. However, all this is placed against a dark background, with the imposing form of a building blocking the sun. The woman is dressed in camoflauge, also a sign that this beautiful environment may not be all that it seems. Thang challenges us to look past the surface and see a scene for all its contrasts.

Lot 9 PHAM LUAN (b. 1954) Cau Go Street Watercolour 70 x 70 cm 1999 $4,000 - $8,000/ €3,161 – €6,332/ 78,000,000 VND – 156,000,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam

Part of Vietnam’s older generation of artists, Pham Luan always paints his beloved city in a romantic light reminiscent of a bygone past. Using soft colors and warm light, Pham Luan imagines a peaceful Hanoi teeming with bicycle riders, flower sellers and old world charm. He paints his scenes with compassion for his subjects and for the heart of this old city. One subject Pham Luan has always been attracted to is the Old Quarter of Hanoi, with its thirty six streets. In Cau Go Street, we are looking at history and memory – not contemporary reality. And so this is one thing that stands out in Pham Luan’s work: a Hanoi that was, and is no longer. But its beauty is still remembered and savored in the paintings of Pham Luan.

PHAM LUAN Cau Go Street

Lot 10 DIEP QUY HAI (b. 1971) Love #1 Lacquer 106cm x 106cm 2002 $3,500 - $7,000/ €2,766 - €5,532/ 68,250,000 VND – 136,500,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam Exhibitions: Inside and Outside, Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2004

DIEP QUY HAI Love #1

Influenced by a vast array of artists ranging from the ancient to the erotic, Diep Quy Hai’s work aims at the center of human existence, at the ego and the subconscious, exploring the latter’s ineffable correlation to human emotion. His pieces offer the viewer entrance into his inner topography as well as necessitating one’s investigation of their own internal machinations. Expressing emotive transcendence with wholly physical materials – wood and lacquer – Hai’s work navigates the enigmatic two-fold nature of existence finding its resolution in the viewer’s own path towards self-realization. By deftly drawing out the rich, carmine qualities of the lacquer medium in Love #1, Hai investigates the idea of profound sentiment, of emotion that has no clear shape but is merely an allusive expression of the inner world that lives inside us all.

Lot 11 DINH CONG DAT (b. 1966) Masks Negative (23) Wood, fiberglass and lacquer 30 x 24 cm 2003 – 2010 $5,000 - $8,000/ €3,951 – €6,322/ 97,500,000 VND – 156,000,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam Exhibitions: The Sculpture World of Dinh Cong Dat, Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, 2004 Masks, Mai’s Gallery, Saigon, Vietnam, 2004 Changdong National Art Studio, Korea , 2007 Oriental Colors, Red Gallery, Dubai, UAE, 2007 The Ten Courts of the Kings of Hell, Fielding Lecht Gallery, Austin, Texas, USA, 2006 The Ten Courts of the Kings of Hell, Bankside Gallery, London, UK, 2005

DINH CONG DAT Masks Negative (23)

Lot 12 LY TRAN QUYNH GIANG (b. 1978) Box Oil on canvas 130 x 155 cm 2008 $8,000 - $10,000/ €6,090 – €7,613/ 155,880,000 VND – 194,850,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist Exhibitions: L’Espace French Cultural Center, Hanoi, 2007

LY TRAN QUYNH GIANG Box

Ly Tran Quynh Giang is, among many things, an accomplished woodcut artist whose local reputation with this medium reaches far beyond the borders of Vietnam and into international attention. While traditional woodcut artists make prints from their blocks, thus keeping the original carved wood, Giang lets her woodcuts go out into the world to be experienced by many as unique pieces of art. Giang’s Wire (p.40) betrays a fascination with darker, tragic themes. The limbless faces appear bound to branches, transfiguring back into nature, expressing the artist’s attraction to the contradictions of life. Dark and dangerous, foreboding and frantic, the intensity of these creatures gives the viewer an insight into this very private artist’s fertile inner world. The allure of sombre shades of experience can also be seen in her painting work, which in In The Box is most immediately conveyed by her distinctively dark pallet. Giang’s figures are often aloof, dark-lidded, tenebrous. The rich impasto of her oil paint, spread thick like icing, compliments the densely listless figure. Sedately drifting upon a void of calm, Giang’s In The Box begs the question: Is life on the move or is it in reality motionless? Ly Tran Quynh Giang is undoubtedly one of the strongest and most promising young artists working in Vietnam today. Her woodcut work has most recently (2010) been acquired by the renowned Post-Vidai collection of contemporary Vietnamese art.

Lot 13 NGUYEN MINH THANH (b. 1971) Green Robe Natural color and chinese ink on silk 158cm x 77cm 2003 $5,000 - $7,000/ €3,951 – €5,532/ 97,500,000 VND – 136,500,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam Exhibitions: Silence, Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, 2003

Nguyen Minh Thanh is one of Vietnam’s most established and well-known artists. His long career has led him to work across a range of media from painting, sculpture, performance and film. Thanh’s art practice is dominated by spirituality, and an inquiry into identity, both individual but also collective, within society or the family. At first glance, Thanh could be considered to be predominantly a self-portraitist, and indeed both Waiting (p.42) and Green Robe betray this genre most clearly. Yet what is striking about Thanh’s portrait pieces are their ambiguity, for the faintly generic faces depicted are multifaceted, they are images of the artist/everyman. They are tranquil evocations of Buddha and they give to the viewer the gift of this artist’s solemn spirituality.

NGUYEN MINH THANH Green Robe

Lot 14 TRUONG TAN (b. 1963) The Groom Lacquer 100cm x 100cm 2003 $6,000 - $10,000/ €4,741 – €7,903/ 117,000,000 VND – 195,000,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam

TRUONG TAN The Groom

Truong Tan is a pioneer in the fields of lacquer work, performance, and painting. His works address many issues of oppression that individuals are forced to contend with within traditional Vietnamese culture. Both Tran’s work and his openly declared sexual orientation have opened the doors for those after him to discuss notions of sexuality in the arts and in Vietnamese society more broadly. Some of his most interesting work to date is what he has been able to accomplish in the realm of lacquer and The Groom is an excellent example of the artist’s abilities with this medium. Tan boldly subverts the traditional aesthetic of this medium by introducing figures that are reminiscent of street art in New York in the 1980s and 1990s. His influences range from ancient Greek iconography to the works of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Lot 15 LY TRAN QUYNH GIANG (b. 1978) Wire Woodcut 60 x 100 cm 2007 $6,000 - $9,000/ €4,741 – €7,112/ 17,000,000 VND – 175,500,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist Exhibitions: L’Espace French Cultural Center, Hanoi, 2007

LY TRAN QUYNH GIANG Wire

Lot 16

NGUYEN MINH THANH Waiting

NGUYEN MINH THANH (b. 1971) Waiting (Triptyque) Natural color on Do paper Centerpiece: 204.5cm x 145.5cm Sidepieces: 204.5cm x 40cm 2001 $8,000 - $10,000/ €6,322 – €7,903/ 156,000,000 VND – 195,000,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam

Lot 17 NGUYEN THI CHINH LE (b. 1969) Four Seasons (Quadriptyque) Natural color on silk 67.5cm x 27cm 2003 $7,000 - $12,000/ €5,532 – €9,483/ 136,500,000 VND – 234,000,000 VND Provenance: Purchased from Art Vietnam Gallery by the Ford Foundation and donated to the British Council Vietnam

Nguyen Thi Chinh Le, an artist from Ho Chi Minh City, is gifted in the mediums of woodblock print, silk and ink on paper. She is an artist, a sculptor, and a poet. A devout Buddhist who is committed to the art of meditation, Chinh Le passes on her profound knowledge and understanding of spirituality onto the viewer through her paintings. Like a lot of her work in silk, Four Seasons gently explores the intricacies of existence, its quadtych composition a panorama of the cycle of life. Many of her silk paintings contain few strokes with minimal details and colour; they resemble the art of meditation. From her work an incredible tranquillity emanates, calmly filling the room in which her paintings are hung. She is one of Vietnam’s most traditional contemporary artists, and one of its most promising.

NGUYEN THI CHINH LE Four Seasons

Lot 18 NGUYEN MANH HUNG (b. 1976) Trash Collectors by the Sea Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm 2009 $10,000 - $15,000/ €7,903 – €11,854/ 195,000,000 VND – 292,500,000 VND Provenance: Donated by the artist

NGUYEN MANH HUNG Trash Collectors by the Sea

With his fresh, personal vision that sets him apart from previous generations of painters, Nguyen Manh Hung heralds the future in Vietnamese art. A multidiscplined artist, he is equally at ease painting as he is in creating large-scale installations or exploring performance art and sculpture. Art historical citations are evident in his work, including most unmistakeably that of Edward Hopper, yet Hung introduces into that realistic style a profound sense of playfulness, humor, and a distinctly Vietnamese absurdity. His most recent works depict military crafts ready to launch oversized carrots instead of missiles, or else laden down with bags of rice. They introduce many of the contradictions and ambiguities that are so tangible in the rapid development of his home country. Trash Collectors by the Sea illustrates the artist’s outstanding skill as a painter and draftsman. Growing up in a military family, Hung brings a touch of the personal to his depictions of these aircrafts. By choosing to paint what is familiar to himself, and in foregoing an exploration of more traditional motifs and themes, Hung’s symbology is firmly rooted in the present.

Firstly, I would like to welcome everybody to this wonderful evening in celebration of the Arts in Vietnam. I hope you have had an opportunity to preview the amazing works and agree with me of the importance of this group of talented artists. I am honored to be asked to collaborate on this worthy project. The DNA of the BUI Gallery is to promote and help develop awareness in the arts field, especially awareness of young emerging artists in all media. In 2008, I decided to open The Bui Gallery in Hanoi as I became more and more enthralled with the contemporary art scene in Vietnam and in South East Asia at large. Since the beginning of our involvement, we continue to be amazed at the wealth of talent that is unveiled and our main goal is to showcase it to the very best of our abilities. Why do we do this at the Bui Gallery? Because we believe that contemporary art has the ability to inform, to transform and to change lives for the better. We would like everyone to have the chance to enjoy this beautiful pleasure. We also encourage our public and collectors to investigate art by living artists and to collect contemporary art - in so doing supporting the artists whose work we believe will endure. Through the British Council Arts Gala & Auction â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the eve of the 1000 year anniversary of Hanoi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you have the chance to make a dramatic impact on our vital work, ensuring significant new art enters public and private collections around Vietnam. Thank you.

As Hanoi embarks on its 1000th anniversary the space traversed inside all Hanoians during this extended period of transition from an ancient society to a thriving modern nation is a distance that is impossible to measure. As artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most edifying function is to illustrate the current human condition we must rely on our artists to lead the way. What better way to celebrate this honored occasion than an art auction? On offer are the works of a highly eclectic group of artists in various styles and mediums that portray this interior movement. Art Vietnam Gallery has had the privilege of working with many of the artists that are contributing to this worthwhile event and we want to congratulate everyone involved in this effort. Vietnam is just beginning to cross the threshold of a quaint village art culture into a dynamic international force. Artists on auction now such as Nguyen Minh Thanh, Dinh Cong Dat, Ly Tran Quynh Giang and Nguyen Manh Hung to name a few, are routinely invited for residencies abroad and to exhibit in international competitions. As Vietnam emerges as an art market that demands critical attention, curators and collectors are seeking works of exceptional content and quality and are watching closely the movement in the country. This is an excellent opportunity for the general public to not only procure an extraordinary work of art but also to contribute to the development of fine art in Vietnam. Giving artists the opportunity to travel abroad and to attend residencies is a great stimulus that breathes vibrancy and a dynamism that can only be reflected in a greater quality and output of creative talent. Art Vietnam Gallery wishes this event every success and would like to thank all of those who contributed to this very worthy effort.

Betty Bui Director The Bui Gallery

Suzanne Lecht Art Director Art Vietnam Gallery

AUCTION INFORMATION

Live Auction 10th October 2010 Conducted by Phil Whittaker, Director, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Singapore, during “British Council Arts Gala”, Hanoi. Lots 1 – 18 inclusive, described on p.12 - p.46 of this catalogue, will be sold in the live auction. Absentee Bidders If you are unable to attend the evening but would like to bid for any of the works, please fill out the absentee bid form on p.54 and return it to the British Council (as detailed on the form). In the event of tied bids, priority will be given to the first received. Absentee bids can be submitted up until 5.00 p.m. on Friday, 8th October, 2010, but we would advise submitting them at your earliest convenience. Preview Exhibition 1st October – 9th October The Bui Gallery, 23 Ngo Van So Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam Everyday 11.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. British Council Arts Auction & Gala Sunday, 10th October, 2010 at Métropole Hotel, La Véranda, 15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi By invitation only Reception: 6.30 p.m. Dinner/Auction: 7.30 p.m. - onwards

Payment When the live auction has finished, successful bidders should speak with a representative of the British Council or Bui Gallery who will take the payment. Payment can be made by credit card, debit card or wire transfer. Successful Absentee Bidders will be contacted on Monday 11th October to arrange payment. Collection Once payment has been received, buyers will be given the contact details of Thuy at Pacific Express, who has agreed to deliver artworks, at no charge to the Buyer, to any central Hanoi address within 3 weeks. Delivery outside of Hanoi or outside this timeframe can be arranged by agreement with Thuy and at cost to the Buyer. Resale The British Council, Bui Gallery and Art Vietnam respectfully request that works purchased at British Council Arts Gala are not resold in the near future. Should an owner wish to sell a work at a later date, it is good practice to offer the work in the first instance to the gallery which represents the artist. If you would like guidance on this, please contact Nguyen Thi My Dung at the Bui Gallery at +84 (0)4 3944 8595. Sale Results Sale Results can be obtained from The Bui Gallery after 14th October 2010.

For tickets and more information contact Ha Thien Ha: ha.ha@britishcouncil.org.vn +84 (0)4 3728 1920 (Ext. 1954)

Conditions of Business

CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS FOR THE BRITISH COUNCIL ARTS GALA EVENT & AUCTION TO BE HELD ON Sunday 10th SEPTEMBER 2010 AT METROPOLE HOTEL, HANOI. The property offered in this sale and listed in this catalogue will be sold by The British Council, registered with the Charity Commissioners under number 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland). Any questions in realtion to the auction should be directed to the British Council and not to Sotheby’s, which serves merely as auctioneer for the British Council in conducting the sale and participates on the following terms and conditions which govern the sale of all the property offered (as amended by any posted notices or oral announcements during the auction). 1. (a) Neither Sotheby’s nor the British Council assumes any risk, liability or responsibility for the authenticity or the authorship of any property identified in this catalogue(thats is, the identity of teh creator or the period, culture, source or orgini, as the cas may be, with which the creation of any property is identified herein). (b) All property is sold with all faults and imperfections and errors of description and neither Sotheby’s nor the British Council makes any representations or warranties of any kind or nature, expressed or implied, with respect to the property and in no event shall either of them be responsible for the correctness of any descriptions of

property, nor be deemed to have maden any representations or warranties of physical condition, size, quality, rarity, importance, genuineness, attribution, authenticity, or provenance of the property. No statement in the auction catalogue or other description at the sale , in any sale invoice or elsewhere, shall be deemed such a representation or warranty. (c) Prospective bidders shall inspect the properties before bidding to determine its condition, size, and whether or not it has been restored or repaired. (d) Property may be offered subject to reserves. 2. Any property may be withdrawn by Sotheby’s or the British Council at any time before the actual sale. 3. Unless otherwise announced by the auctioneer at the time of sale, all bids are per lot as numbered in the catalogue. 4. Sotheby’s and the British Council reserve the right to reject a bid from any bidder. The highest bidder acknowledged by the auctioneer shall be the purchaser. In the event of any dispute between bidders, the auctioneer shall have sole and final discretion either to determine the successful bidder or to re-offer and resell the lot in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, the sale

recordes of the British Council shall be conclusive in all respects. 5. If the auctioneer determines that any opening bid is not commensurate with the value of the property, he may reject the same and withdraw the property from sale, and if, having acknowledged an opening bid, he decides that any advance thereafter is insufficient, he may reject the advance. 6. On the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer, the highest bidder shall be deemed to have purchased the offered lot subject to all of the conditions set forth herein and thereupon (a) assumes the risk and responsibility thereof. (b) will sign a confirmation of purchase thereof and © will pay the full purchase price or such part as the British Council may require. The British Council will not release a lot to a successful buyer until payment of the total amounr due has been made. After payment, the purchaser shall remove the Property from the British Council, or their Agent’s premises (if held at the British Council). If the property is not so removed, it may be sent by the British Council at its discretion to storage for the account, risk and expense of the purchaser and such charges will then be added to the purchase price of the property. If the foregoing conditions and other applicable conditions are not complied with, in addition to other remedies available to the British Council by law including, without limitation, the right to hold the purchaser liable for the bid price, the British Council, at its option,

may either (a) cancel the sale, retaining as liquidated damages all payments made by the purchaser or (b) resell the property on three days notice to the pruchaser and for the account and risk of the purchaser, either publicly or privately, and in such event the purchaser shall be liable for payment on any shortfall between the original sale price and the price achieved upon resale, all other charges due hereunder and any incidental damages. 7. Payments for purchases must be made in USD or VND and in the following forms: cash and all major credit cards. 8. Inthe case of commisiion bids or absentee bids, Sotheby’s and the British Council are not responsible for errors or ommissions arising out or resulting from mechanical difficulties or failure. 9. In no circumstances will Sotheby’s or the British Council rescind any purchase made or refund the amount paid in respect of any lot. Neither shipping nor delivery costs are included in the price at which a lot is knocked down by the auctioneer to the buyer. 11. The Conditions of Sale, as well as the purchaser’s, the British Council’s and Sotheby’s respective rights and obligations hereunder, shall begoverned by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of Vietnam. By bidding at an auction, whether present in person or by agent, commission bid, telephone or other means, the purchaser shall be deemed to have consented to the exclusive jurisdiction of Vietnam.

10th October 2010

ABSENTEE BID FORM Please bid on my behalf at the above sale for the following Lot(s) up to the hammer price(s) as stated below. These bids are to be executed as cheaply as is permitted by other bids or reserves and in an amount up to but not exceeding the specified amounts. I agree to be bound the Conditions of Business as printed in the Catalogue.

Address:

Absentee Bid Form: Please use this absentee bid form. Bids in any other format will not be accepted. Be sure to record accurately the lot numbers and descriptions and the maximum price you are willing to pay for each lot – this should be the amount to which you would bid if you were attending the sale yourself. Unlimited bids will not be accepted. Alternative bids can be placed by using the word “or” between lot numbers. Bids must be placed in the same order as the lot numbers appear in the catalogue. Please place your bids as early as possible. In the event of identical bids, the earliest received will take precedence.

Postcode:

Successful Bids: Successful bidders will receive an invoice from the British Council detailing their purchases and giving instructions for payment and clearance of goods.

Please use capital letters. Date: Full Name:

Telephone: Email: Signature: Lot Number: Title or Description: Bid Price: Lot Number: Title or Description: Bid Price:

Absentee Bids: If you are unable to attend The British Council Arts Gala and wish to place bids you may give the British Council instructions to bid on your behalf. We will then try to purchase the lot(s) of your choice at the lowest price possible and to a maximum price as indicated by you. Please note that the British Council offers this service to help supporters who are unable to attend the event and although we will make every effort, we will not be responsible for any errors or failure to execute bids. Absentee bids must be received in writing.

Arrangements For Payment I intend to pay by:

Credit Card

Wire Transfer

Mastercard

Visa

Credit Card Details: Expiry Date:

Start Date:

Security Code: Issue Number: Credit Card Number: Name, as on the card: Please scan and email your form to: Ha.ha@britishcouncil.org or fax it to Ha Thien Ha at the British Council on +84 (0)4 3843 4962 on completion NO LATER than 5pm on Friday 8th October 2010. For inquiries please contact Ha Thien Ha at +84 (0)4 3728 1920 (ext. 1954), OR give it to a British Council or Bui Gallery representative at the Auction Preview at the Bui Gallery, 1st October – 9th October 2010.

artists Index

Aaron Joel Santos Whither the Past, Est. $1,000 - $2,000

p.12

LOT1

Nguyen Manh Hung Trash Collectors by the Sea, Est. $10,000 - $15,000

p.46

LOT18

Diep Quy Hai Love #1, Est. $3,500 - $7,000

p.30

LOT10

Nguyen Minh Thanh Waiting (Triptyque), Est. $8,000 - $10,000

p.42

LOT16

Dinh Cong Dat Masks Negative (23), Est. $5,000 - $8,000

p.32

LOT11

Nguyen Minh Thanh Green Robe, Est. $5,000 - $7,000

p.36

LOT13

Dinh Cong Dat Masks Positive (4), Est. $1,000 - $2,000

p.18

LOT4

Nguyen Thi Chinh Le Four Seasons (Quadriptyque), Est. $7,000 - $12,000

p.44

LOT17

Ha Manh Thang Traditional Beauty, Est. $2,000 - $5,000

p.26

LOT8

Pham Huy Thong I am positive that this plan will be victorious!, Est. $1,000 - $3,000

p.20

LOT5

Jamie Maxtone-Graham Two Women While Working, Est. $1,000 - $2,000

p.16

LOT3

Pham Huy Thong Portrait of Liberty, Est. $1,500 - $4,000

p.24

LOT7

Lionel Descostes Days in Hanoi, Est. $1,000 - $2,000 Ly Tran Quynh Giang Wire, Est. $6,000 - $9,000

p.14

LOT2

Pham Luan Cau Go Street, Est. $4,000 - $8,000

p.28

LOT9

p.40

LOT15

Sandrine Llouquet Untitled(2), Est. $2,000 - $4,000

p.22

LOT6

Ly Tran Quynh Giang Box, Est. $8,000 - $10,000

p.34

LOT12

Truong Tan The Groom, Est. $6,000 - $10,000

p.38

LOT14