1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

- 7 - o f p r o v i n c i a l L i t e r a t u r e and Art A s s o c i a t i o n s . Of t h e s e , o n ly 300 r e g u l a r l y p a i n t and o c c a s i o n a l ly e x h i b i t . An e s t im a te d 30 can e a rn t h e i r l i v i n g a t an av e rag e l e v e l from s e l l i n g t h e i r w o rk s . No more th an t e n a r t c o l l e c t o r s a t home buy s e v e r a l dozen p l a c e s p e r y e a r , on an a v e ra g e . There a re two f i n e a r t museums, one in Hanoi and th e o th e r in Ho Chi Mnh c i t y , w ith a budg e t n o t enough to a c q u i r e 10 painting-4 a t th e p r i c e some o f o u r s g o t , f o r i n s t a n c e , i n Hong Kong. With no reg im e o f f r e e - l a n c e a r t i s t s , a l l o f u s a re wage e a r n e r s w ith an ave rage monthly s a l a r y o f US 0 20-30 worth ( o f c o u r s e , n e a r e much ch eap e r h e r e ) . P r i o r to 1984 , t h e r e u sed t o be one n a ­ t i o n a l f i n e a r t e x h i b i t i o n eve ry f i v e y e a r s , two o r th r e e .co l­ l e c t i v e e x h i b i t i o n s i n b ig c i t i e s e v e ry y e a r and v e ry few o n e -p e r so n shows. At p r e s e n t , in Hanoi and Ho Chi L inh c i t y , dozens o f e x h i b i t i o n s a re h e ld e v e ry month; h ow e v e r most o f th e s e a re meant f o r t o u r i s t s and o v e r s e a s Vietnamese a£so come back t o v i s i t th e n a t iv e p l a c e . Not u n t i l th r e e y e a r s e a r l i e r , d id p r o f e s s i o n a l a r t d e a l e r s , c o l l e c t o r s and c r i t i c s Sfcret came to Vietnam. In Hong Kong, t h e r e a re now two g a l l e ­ r i e s s p e c i a l i z i n g in V ietnamese a r t . Of c o u r s e , v i s i t i n g a r t i s t s a r e i n much g r e a t e r number, i n c lu d in g th o s e who a l r e a d y came to ou r coun try i n tim e s o f war, and th e y found c o l le a g u e s h e r e . This i s a g r e a t encouragement f o r u s . And we n ev e r f o r g e t th e a s s i s t a n c e , b o th m a t e r i a l and m o ra l, ou r i n t e r n a t i o n a l f r i e n d s have ex tended to u s i n th e s e h a rd t im e s . However, th e problem i s t h a t as y e t , we have n o t any r u l e s , any p o l i c y to a c q u a in t ojar peop le and yo u th s w i th a r t . For a 7 -m i l l i o n - s t r o n g p o p u l a t io n , we have o n ly - a s p e c i a l i z e d qu a r te r ly a r t magazine w i th a c i r c u l a t i o n o f 1 ,000 c o p i e s . And in 40 y e a r s , th e num­ b e r o f a r t books p u b lish e d does n o t exceed 40 t i t l e s , and ve ry b a d ^ p r in te d a t th a t ! The m a jo r i ty o f our p eo p le a r e s t i l l u n i n i t i a t e d to a r t , t o th e h i s t o r y o f n a t i o n a l and w o rld a r t , and c o n s id e r i t as a lu x u r y , an e x p o r t a r t i c l e r e s e r v e d f o r r i c h f o r e i g n e r s . There a r e no r u l e s f o r u s e o f a r t works i n p u b l i c and c u l t u r a l p l a c e s , n o r to en cou rag e w e a lth y p e o p le , bu s inessm an to sponsor a r t . T h e r e fo re , maJ&y a r t c o n n o i s s e u r s coming to Vietnam would r a t h e r v i s i t p r i v a t e s tu d i o s o f a r t i s t s