Discussion on the life and artistic legacy of King Ham Nghi

King Ham Nghi (1871-1944), real name Nguyen Phuc Minh, courtesy name Ung Lich, ascended the throne in 1884, was the 8th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. After the fall of Hue in 1885, King Ham Nghi left the capital and issued the Can Vuong Proclamation, calling on heroes, scholars and people across the country to rise up against the French invasion.

In 1888, the king was captured by French colonialists and exiled to Algiers, the capital of Algeria, in 1889. He lived in a villa on El Biar hill, about 12km from the capital Algiers, still maintaining the country's customs until his death in January 1944.

The event is an opportunity for the public interested in history and art in Hue to broaden their perspective on King Ham Nghi, a historical figure with both political and cultural roles. The audience has the opportunity to hear speakers share about his historical background and exile, his living conditions and supervision in Algeria, his time studying painting and his artistic connections as well as the artistic legacy that King Ham Nghi left to the art history of Vietnam in particular and the world in general.

A painting by King Ham Nghi. (Photo: TL)

The discussion will also delve into the life and artistic career of King Ham Nghi, a patriotic king who was exiled to Algeria. In exile, he turned painting into a passion and a means to express his feelings and aspirations for freedom. In addition, the speakers will bring stories about the research and implementation of the exhibition, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives to the audience.

The life of King Ham Nghi, both as a political figure and as a personal life, will be dissected and discussed in order to use the past to talk about the present, during the days of March when cultural and artistic activities are taking place very vibrantly in Hue.

The seminar will take place at 9am on March 26 at the French Institute in Hue, No. 1 Le Hong Phong, Phu Nhuan Ward, Hue City. The speakers participating in the program are Dr. Amandine Dabat, fifth generation descendant of King Ham Nghi, curator Ace Le and Dr. Tran Dinh Hang, Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies in Hue.