Photo Hanoi'23 Biennale, which gathers more than 100 Vietnamese and international photographers, curators and photography experts, officially opened on April 21 in Hanoi.

Biennale is a very popular term in the international art world, referring to periodic art exhibitions and exchanges. In recent years, many Vietnamese artists have been invited to participate in international biennales.

This is the first time that the French Institute in Vietnam, in cooperation with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and many partners, has introduced this model in the capital.

Accordingly, Biennale Photo Hanoi'23 will take place in Hanoi until June 3, with a variety of activities such as exhibitions, talkshows, and photography workshops.

Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports Do Dinh Hong speaks at the opening ceremony. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

Do Dinh Hong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, affirmed that this is a major event in the field of photography that contributes to the promotion of cultural industries and creative activities.

"Photo Hanoi'23 promises to be an impressive event in photography, bringing the public a fresh and fascinating look at contemporary photography in Vietnam and the world," Hong said.

This is also an opportunity to promote the image of the country and people of the capital through the perspective of photography.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sophie Maysonnave, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Activities at the French Embassy in Vietnam, said photography can be a representative of contemporary culture.

"This Biennale focuses on photography because it's the way to talk to all generations, especially young people who want to see and understand the world. It is the choice of dialogue between societies, discovering new countries, new cultures, promoting heritage values, and adapting heritage to modernity," she said.

Actress Nhu Quynh visits the exhibition. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times

Photo Hanoi'23 will feature more than 20 solo and group exhibitions and more than 20 side events, which will be open to the public free of charge to enjoy and discover the richness of contemporary photography as well as iconic works of heritage photography.

Lectures and discussions will be held both live and online to discuss the current context of the photography industry in Vietnam.

On this occasion, the exhibition "Hanoi - A City in Photography" opened at 22 Hang Buom Cultural and Art Center, bringing together 16 artists and 16 perspectives on Hanoi.

They are Alexandre Garel, Khong Viet Bach, Lolo Zazar, Peter Steinhauer, Sébastien Laval, Veronika Radulovic, Ben Reich, Bert Danckaert, Nguyen Huu Bao, Nguyen The Son, Le Thinh, Le Xuan Phong, Nguyen Duy Kien, Maika Elan and Pham Tuan Ngoc.

According to curator Nguyen The Son, the exhibition provides visitors with the experience of enjoying photographs printed and displayed to international standards, which are now popular in art galleries and museums around the world, but still very rare in Vietnam.

In addition to major works by 16 artists, the exhibition also features black-and-white photographs of street vendors taken by French photographers in the early 20th century and restored color images of Indochinese architecture.

The exhibition attracts many young people. Photo: Ngo Minh/The Hanoi Times