Why is art patronage in Vietnam still not a sustainable ecosystem?

But currently in Vietnam, art patronage in such a changing context is still inconsistent and does not form a sustainable ecosystem.

The speakers at the talk show are all experienced in arts patronage (from left to right): Ms. Nguyen Dieu Cam, Mr. Nguyen Thieu Kien and Mr. Bui Trung Duc

PHOTO: NOIRFOTO

Absorb from the community to enrich the community

Recently, the above issue was mentioned in the talk show Art? Don't watch! (organized by Noirfoto - AGAD on April 13, at Toong exhibition space, Ho Chi Minh City) with the participation of Ms. Nguyen Dieu Cam - General Director of T&A Ogilvy, Mr. Nguyen Thieu Kien - Director of Quang San Art Museum and Mr. Bui Trung Duc - founder and operator of Amanaki hotel chain. Besides, there was Mr. Pham Tuan Ngoc, founder of Noifoto Art Photography Studio - the unit that just organized the Noi photography exhibition.

All four representatives are art patrons or are sponsored by art to bring artists' works to the public through auctions, exhibitions, organizing art competitions or applying art in cultural spaces and products. The art patronage context that the talk mentioned is in the field of display, exhibition and presentation in a fixed space, where the audience is the direct beneficiary of the artists' works.

With their own experiences, the speakers shared valuable insights about the current general situation of art patronage in Vietnam, when the public is gradually paying more attention to exhibitions.

According to Ms. Nguyen Dieu Cam, the recipients of sponsorship, specifically private companies, sometimes have not really defined their concept of art consumption and art appreciation, so it often leads to the situation where the sponsored subjects organize exhibitions for their own reputation and economy first and foremost. This concept is not wrong, but according to Mr. Nguyen Thieu Kien's experience, clearly identifying who the beneficiaries of the artists' artistic achievements are, and clearly understanding the impacts of the exhibitions will help the units not to be confused between the issue of money and the quality of art. And this has been applied very flexibly and successfully by Mr. Bui Trung Duc's Amanaki hotel chain, which is to combine business with activities specializing in Vietnamese indigenous culture such as pottery making, making wind paper paintings, thereby preserving traditions, while introducing them to international friends.

The speakers acknowledged that in the current digital culture era, audiences "consume" art through the habit of surfing and touching "content", which is also worth pondering when compared to the story of art patronage.

Ms. Nguyen Dieu Cam said that if an exhibition or auction is successful and has good sales, it is a very good thing. Mr. Nguyen Thieu Kien acknowledged that whether an exhibition is successful or not, the point of such events lies in the human factor. To be more specific, artists, creators, and organizers benefit from the community, so they "have to give something back to the community". This leads to another double impact: raising the aesthetic awareness of the audience. Mr. Bui Trung Duc also agreed, in his motto, harmonious cooperation, focusing on people as the root is one of the factors that helps art patronage achieve the best results.

The black and white photography exhibition Noi (part of the Noirfotocontest2024) organized by Noirfoto at Toong space, just ended on the evening of April 13, introducing to the audience 30 photos manually illuminated from digital files. The theme throughout these works is cultural connection.

PHOTO: NOIRFOTO

Also on the issue of community, the speakers said that in foreign countries, art patronage has been carried out very early and regularly, andeducation on respecting culture and viewing culture as an important entity has been taught to children; however, in our country, it has not yet truly created a sustainable ecosystem.

Good news

Although art patronage in our country still has many unanswered issues such as mechanisms, legality, funding sources (sponsorship funds), taxes, space and space standards for organizing exhibitions/displays..., there are still encouraging signs.

It is possible to mention the self-mobilization and connection between sponsoring units. Mr. Pham Tuan Ngoc said that every time a new exhibition is organized, whether it is from a personal collection or sponsoring young artists, the operational stages, especially the standards of the exhibition space, are carefully calculated. For example, the collaboration in the Sparkles exhibition in April 2024 between Noirfoto and Quang San Art Museum, which brought photography from the darkroom to the museum with strict standards, is the most recent example showing that private units can do a good job of sponsorship, even though these units themselves also need sponsorship.

Self-reliance is one thing, but support from the government is still needed. Mr. Nguyen Thieu Kien said that in recent years, the process of applying for a license from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to organize exhibitions has been greatly supported, the process is also more open, so the sponsored unit also has less burden to focus on the quality of the exhibition.

Next is the age of the audience. Mr. Kien said that when he first started operating the Quang San Museum, he thought that the audience would be older, but unexpectedly, the majority were between the ages of 25 and 30. This is a positive sign that the audience is getting younger, making it easier for sponsorship to spread and be more widely accepted.

He also said that the situation of art exhibitions and patronage in the South is very vibrant. Although a strong art patronage ecosystem has not yet been fully built, it is entirely possible to hope that more and more artists, works and knowledge about art will be introduced to the public.

However, as Ms. Nguyen Dieu Cam sees it, for arts patronage to be sustainable, it must be discovered, maintained and nurtured in the long term to have important, lasting impacts.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thieu Kien, museum operators and art patrons have a comprehensive vision of the art market and know where the "expectations" of the beneficiaries are, so they can propose appropriate prices for each work; at the same time, they should also guide artists so that the business market is stable.

Waiting for the art sponsorship fund

Mr. Pham Tuan Ngoc is concerned about when there will be an art sponsorship fund in Vietnam. This is a very valuable resource because it helps nurture sponsorship activities and artists, but it is not easy to find, because as mentioned, art sponsorship in Vietnam has not really received the attention and awareness it deserves like in foreign countries. In Vietnam, a proper art sponsorship fund is difficult, and in the current context it is even more difficult. This is not only Mr. Ngoc's concern but also the concern of many people in the industry.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-bao-tro-nghe-thuat-o-viet-nam-van-chua-thanh-he-sinh-thai-ben-vung-185250413190704103.htm