Taking place in Đà Nẵng and Hội An earlier in August 2024, the traveling art week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024 became a platform for local artists to showcase artworks, and attracted the attention of many local and international participants. From a museum space to a bar or cafe corner, from a beach site to a theater — any site can become a space for exhibitions, talks, screenings and performances.
Nổ Cái Bùm (NCB) is a traveling contemporary art week curated by artists in Vietnam. The festival was co-initiated by Đào Tùng (Nest Studio), Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai, Trương Thiện, Hoàng Ngọc Tú (Mơ Đơ) and curator Lê Thiên Bảo (Symbioses) in Huế in 2020. The second season of NCB, “Đà Lạt Mộng Mơ 2022,” (The Dreaming Đà Lạt 2022) was co-organized by Sao La Collective and Hoàng Anh (Hey ! Storm).
Running its third season this year, “Nổ Cái Bùm 2024: Tập thể (dục) / Collectivity-in-(act)ion” was co-organized by A Sông, MORUA and Symbioses, which took place in Đà Nẵng and Hội An earlier from August 22 to 28, 2024. With the participation of more than 100 artists and art collectives across three regions Vietnam, the festival featured more than 20 events in diverse formats: exhibitions, installations, film screenings, performances, experimental dance and theater, traditional and contemporary music, workshops, talks, hip-hop battle and art tours, focusing on introducing artists from the central region.
A Roundtable: “From friendship to Nổ Cái Bùm” with guest artists: Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai (co-founder and co-organizer of NCB 1, Huế), Nguyễn Kim Tố Lan (co-organizer of NCB 2, Đà Lạt), moderated by Lê Thiên Bảo. Photo courtesy of Xuân Hạ.
Taking the term “tập thể" (collectivity) as the starting point, the organizing committee of NCB 2024 highlighted how individuals from different locations, with different approaches and purposes, can work together to organize and run a large-scale art festival. The word “dục” in “giáo dục” (education) promotes critical thinking on how artist collectives work in Vietnam. Meanwhile, “tập thể dục” (exercise) requires continuous movements and interactions between individuals, which is crucial for a collective to work together. Organizing public programs in various locations encourages participants to move around the two cities. The participatory elements from most public programs would cultivate new encounters and friendships, and also strengthen the relationship between organizers and artists; and between local and international participants.
Participants at the opening event of Nổ Cái Bùm 2024. Photo courtesy of Mood Food.
The art week started with exhibitions, performances, talks and film screening events in Đà Nẵng. The exhibition “Qua Ngày Đoạn Tháng” (As Time Gone By) at Da Nang Fine Arts Museum was curated by Duyên Lê và Bảo Hân Nguyễn. Through different materials from paintings, installations and photography works, the exhibition allowed visitors to examine their relationship, between humans and non-human elements under the theme of family, of domestic space and household objects filled with memories. As time has gone by and our society is constantly changing, we ask ourselves what remains, what changes and what will be left forever in the past.
Meanwhile, two parts of the exhibition “Nhà” (Home) took place at Cá Chuồn Space and the top floor of Bar Đồ Yêu (Đà Nẵng). Curated by Nguyễn Văn Tôn và Nóte Flood, the exhibition narrative revolves around a main question: “When can a group of strangers become a family?” Each artist offered their own definition and point of view on the attachment to “home,” the essence of connections, and what family means amidst the changes in contemporary life.
Sharing the same space with “Nhà” (Home) at Bar Đồ Yêu, the open studio showcased works by Trần Quỳnh Nhi (Nhiditu), developed during her previous residency program at AirHue, and photography works by Mắt Bét. This was followed by a discussion between participating artists at the same exhibition space and the audience.
The film screening and workshop programs at Cá Chuồn Space (Đà Nẵng) also caught the attention of many local and international viewers. “Câu chuyện cá chuồn" (Flying Fish Tales) featured a selection of short films by Duy Nguyễn, Koa Phạm, Trà My Hickin, Thuỳ-Trang Nguyễn, and Ái-Như Võ. Curated by Berlin-based cultural practitioners Thao Ho (DAMN*) and Lưu Bích Ngọc, the workshop held space for an open discussion between the organizers and participants on a wide range of themes reflected through the works, such as migration, diaspora and identity, etc.
Workshop and screening event “Câu chuyện cá chuồn” (Flying Fish Tales), curated by Thao Ho (DAMN*) and Lưu Bích Ngọc. Photo courtesy of Mood Food.
As the day slowly faded away, more audiences started gathering by the beach and sat down on bamboo mats until late evening to enjoy the film screening events.
“Ngọn nước ngầm” (Undercurrents) was curated by Phạm Nguyễn Anh Tú, featuring short films by Nguyễn Thị Thanh Mai, Sylvia Schedelbauer, Lêna Bùi, Bjorn Melhus and Huỳnh Công Nhớ. The short films meander through “absent histories, faith and loss, displacements and conflicts, obsession and emancipation,” and hold a dialogue with each other. On the following night, “Cinema CNN#4: Đi mô đi miết…” (Where have you been, wandering aimlessly?) featured short films by Đàm Quang Trung, Nguyễn Lê Hoàng Phúc, Quế (Nguyễn Đức Hùng), Trương Minh Quý, Việt Vũ and Hà Đào. Curated by Mai Huyền Chi and Duy Lê, the program revolved around the theme of “mobility,” with inspirations taken from changes happening within the property and state of surrounding things and phenomena. The screening event was followed by a discussion between the curators, artists and moderator.
For those who were looking for a quiet corner in the midst of the art week, “Trạm Đọc” (Reading Station) served as a common “library” for everyone to read. The collection was selected and prepared by AirHue, Liên Phạm, 3năm Studio and Bay Library, featuring many rare art books and zines published by foreign and local artists. Since most of these publications are mostly unavailable for viewing, downloading or purchasing outside these days, the aim of this collection was to make art publications accessible to the public.
Trạm Đọc (Reading Station) by AirHue, Liên Phạm, 3năm Studio, Bay Library. Photo courtesy of Tống Khánh Hà.
Moving forward onto the last three days of the art week, the participants found themselves moving more than usual between various locations in Hội An, with more discussions, interactive installations, studio visits, performance arts, dance and theater from local artist collectives from the central region.
At the cafe and art workshop Rainbow Garden, interactive mixed media installation “Cờ Ạt Cờ,” by artist Trần Thảo Miên and researcher Nguyễn Vũ Tú Hằng, allowed multiple participants to pick their characters, analyze given scenarios in the art scene, and discuss solutions and strategies together. The book talk “Làm Nhóm Nhóm Làm” (Group Works) was held by artist and author Ethan Philbrick and moderated by Anh Vo, featuring Philbrick’s most recent publication “Group Works: Art, Politics, and Collective Ambivalence.” He offered different points of view on group experiments, focusing on individual artists, and works that speak for the process of group or community formation.
The studio visit of Hoàng Thanh Vĩnh Phong, guided by curator Lê Thiên Bảo, was another unique program of the art week. His studio is located in a hidden corner of Hội An, where he has been living and working quietly for more than two decades. This was a rare occasion for the participants to walk through the studio, have a closer look at the materials, and initiate conversations with the artist. Throughout the program, Phong talked about his early days in art school, his artistic journey until now, and how he experimented with lacquer and signature bed frame artworks.
Studio visit of artist Hoàng Thanh Vĩnh Phong in Hội An. Photo courtesy of Lâm Hiếu Thuận.
Taking inspiration from their surrounding environment, some emerging artists developed their own site-specific performances by using different materials aligned with their own stories. They expressed their own perspectives, created a newly imagined landscape, and sometimes interacted directly with the audience.
Through movements, verbal or non-verbal gestures, appearances, sounds and interactions, the performers responded to their own personal challenges and existing social realities. For instance, in the performance “Đô thị” (City), Nguyễn Xuân Thành responded to the reality in which the roots and heart of his hometown Nha Trang were destroyed. Precious things that once existed in the coastal city have been replaced with film flam aimed at catching up with the era, as a result of urbanism and tourism.
Performance “Đô thị” (City) by Nguyễn Xuân Thành, at An Nhiên Farm — Triêm Tây, Điện Bàn, Quảng Nam. Photo by An Tran.
In another case where one needs to escape from discomfort and confinement, Tâm Đỗ brought a new life to an old abandoned brick kiln in a paddy field and turned it into a new imagined landscape of “Nhà gạch bay” (Flying brick house). The performer walked down from the brick kiln while holding a huge stack of balloons, moved towards the audience, invited them to join her, and ended the performance by reading a poem out loud.
Performance “Nhà Gạch Bay” (Flying Brick House) by Tâm Đỗ, at Lò Gạch Cũ (Old Brick Kiln) — Vĩnh Nam Village Stadium, Duy Xuyên, Quảng Nam. Photo courtesy of Lâm Hiếu Thuận.
Another major highlight of the art week was a mixture of experimental dance & theater, traditional & contemporary music, and even Hip-Hop Battle across different venues in Hội An. Most of the programs this time were recently developed from previous projects and are still continued by the performers. Through the language of movements, the performers found themselves navigating through the complex of personal and collective practices, while bridging the gap between the traditional and the contemporary.
(Left) Performance: “Nếu không nhớ thì sẽ quên, sẽ quên…” (To remember or to forget, forget…), by Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, Khang Nguyễn, Alex Phước Chương, residency program MÚA RỨA 2023, at Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House. Photo courtesy Nguyễn Ngọc Hải (Hải Ô).
(Right) Performance: Ka Lén Hát Nhảy, artist collective of Kim-Kim Hà-Genbou-Haki-Mai Linh-Zenky, at AVANA Vietnam Art Residence, Hội An. Photo courtesy of Nguyễn Ngọc Hải (Hải Ô).
The organizers have also made a significant move by promoting traditional Chăm culture, featuring Chăm artist collective Hagait Ni. Performer Vạn Huyền told us the story of the main character Kau in “Gilaong” (Direction), with questions regarding his long-lost origin, and the journey to find his roots and connect with himself. In the music and dance performance “Mai - Marai,” there was a dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity, where each performer brought with them sacred memories, connecting the past, present and future together.
Every version of NCB is held in different cities, and co-organized by different individuals and artist collectives. In the words of Xuân Hạ, the artistic director and producer of NCB 2024, Đà Nẵng; and founder of A Sông Collective: “Nổ Cái Bùm is not just an art event, it is a large community consists of many individuals and smaller communities.” Not only does a sense of collectivity-in-(act)tion exist between the participants of the festival, but it also reflects the way the artist collectives have been running NCB since 2020. By having different generations of artists and art practitioners with multiple cultural backgrounds coming together, the festival also allowed space for open discussions, where everyone could freely express themselves, gain new perspectives, and cultivate new friendships and communities.
Ngô Thanh Phương and Red (Artistic Directors & Producers of NCB 2024, Hội An / Co-founders of MORUA) also said: “Nổ Cái Bùm is a consistent effort of the art community in Vietnam, in maintaining connections, initiating conversations, and experimenting based on the available resources of each locality.” From artists, curators, local business partners, and sponsors to volunteers and participants, everyone plays a crucial role in keeping the festival alive. In conclusion, the decentralized art week NCB plays an important role in featuring and supporting the art scene from regions outside the big cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
More information and recaps of “Nổ Cái Bùm 2024: Tập thể (dục) / Collectivity-in-(act)ion” can be found here at this Facebook page. The art week is already over this year, but the festive spirit still lives on!
