Hanoi Graffiti
From: martin weil <envchem1@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: 2008/7/19
To: vsg@u.washington.edu
Dear list,
I made a very short trip to Hanoi last week after several years of absence and apart from the expected and rather erratic building development I was surprised to see modern western style graffiti spray-painted on several walls.
Could any one provide me with further details of the origins? I perhaps thought it may have been done by a westerner or a westernised Vietnamese copying this particular type of street art.
Has any one been caught and is the outcome known?
Best regards
Martin
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From: Sidel, Mark <mark-sidel@uiowa.edu>
Date: 2008/7/19
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
I also noticed more graffiti during a short visit two weeks ago in Hanoi, particularly near the bridge entrances over the river (though that may just happen to be where I noticed the most on my way over toward a workshop in Ha Long). I second Martin Weil's query - do friends resident in Hanoi have any thoughts on whether more is appearing, and whether it has occasioned comment in Hanoi?
Mark Sidel
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From: ryan nelson <sociolgst@yahoo.com>
Date: 2008/7/19
To: vsg@u.washington.edu
I'd be interested as well to receive literature or thoughts as I failed to find an individual, young or old, whom had an explanation for the graffiti decorating sections of Nha Trang.
Scattered throughout the city a number of public surfaces are tagged with several large stylistically similar words, all of which devoid of accent marks. Whatever the meaning (with exception to a large, red, ominous looking skull and cross bones accentuated beneath by "HELP" I viewed in an underresourced urban area), they've not been painted over. Although a pre Miss Universe beautification may have remedied this.
I'm aware that some graffiti is in fact advertising (i.e. phone numbers) or community related information, but I'm in the dark when it comes to youth related art form.
Peace
Ryan
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From: Nora Taylor <nthanoi04@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 3:07 PM
To: vsg@u.washington.edu
> Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 5:55 AM
> If you had gone to Ho Chi Minh City, you would have been
> able to attend a gallery opening of an exhibition featuring
> some of Vietnam's top graffiti artists. www.san-art.org.
> One of the artists has even produced a documentary about
> young taggers and Vietnam's hip hop culture.
> So, the answer is no, it was probably not made by a
> Westerner. In the film, the artists raise the issue of what
> exactly is public property in Vietnam today. Like everywhere
> else, it is not legal to spray paint public monuments but
> these artists have interesting things to say about
> democracy and freedom of expression.
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From: Ben Kerkvliet <ben.kerkvliet@anu.edu.au>
Date: Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 10:46 PM
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
During two short trips this year, I too have noticed more graffiti in Hanoi. The most unusual are several, scrawled on a brick wall, saying "Need God," in English. Maybe foreigners doing the graffiti?
Ben
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From: Hoang Ngo <ngohoang@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Jul 19, 2008 at 6:38 PM
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
I don't really know the graffiti scene in Hanoi, but I think the scenes in Hue and Saigon are connected due to collaboration between the Dai Hoc My Thuat Hue kids and installation artists in Saigon. And both scenes seem to be robust with different clubs and organizations.
My friend Hai Bang, artist and lecturer at Dai Hoc My Thuat Hue, just did a few graffiti projects around Hue and Saigon. Following is the link to his new project called "The Shadow of Poetry" for Hue Festival 2008:
http://www.gashue.net/home/modules.php?name=News&op=viewst&sid=26
hoang
PhD student
University of Washington
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From: NGUYEN THE ANH
To: Vietnam Studies Group
Sent: Sunday, July 20, 2008 4:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Vsg] Hanoi Graffiti
Attached is a short article but with many pictures of the graffiti on Long Bien bridge.
Nguyen The Anh
Edit: Please click link for article
http://vietnamnet.vn/vanhoa/2008/07/794422/