1993 APT1 Conference : Identity, tradition and change

8 than go to g a l l e r i e s and e x h i b i t i o n s , kany o f them com p la ined abou t th e d e c o r a t io n o f th o s e h o t e l s / a r e mushrooming i n Vietnam a s w e ll as th e o u t - o f - d a t e te a c h in g i n some f i n e a r t s c h o o l s . And n o t a few wondered a t th e absence o f co n - - tem po ra ry s c u l p t u r e . Not to mention th e d e p lo r a b le s i t u a t i o n o f g r a p h ic a r t s and d e s ig n which a r e p rone to copy f o r e i g n p a t t e r n s to a t t r a c t cu s tom e rs a t t h i s n a s c e n t s ta g e o f m a rke t economy. P e rh ap s , th e most p o s i t i v e r e s u l t i n th e l a s t few y e a r s c o n s i s t s i n the r e h a b i l i t a t i o n o f o ld f i n e h a n d i c r a f t s which have been i n a bad way f o r many y e a r s and e s p e c i a l l y , t h a t s e n t im e n t o f freedom o f c r e a t i o n and e x h i b i t i o n which v i/ comes a s a s t r o n g i n c e n t i v e f o r a number p a i n t e r s who work i n a s p i r i t o f " m a r ty rM However, i n th e h a r d e s t y e a r s , our e l d e r s have l e f t worthy m a s te r p ie c e s , on th e f r o n t l i n e , our f r i e n d s made w ond e rfu l and moving s k e tc h e s , we have pride_y?orthy t r a d i ­ t i o n s , and a l l t h i s g iv e s u s ground to be o p t im i s t i c abou t th e f u t u r e w ith th e growing r e l a t i o n s o f c u l t u r a l coopera ' t i o n w i th th e w o r ld . We a lw ay s . I t i s s a f e t o say t h a t w ith th e r e n o v a t io n in p r o c e s s in V ietnam , a new e n c o u n te r , o r r a t h e r a new communion, h a s begun in a much b e t t e r c o n t e x t . i.y s in c e r e th ank s go to th e o r g a n i z e r s who gave me th e honor to speak from t h i s ro s trum and to Queensland A rt G a l le ry f o r c r e a t in g c o n d i t io n s f o r me to v i s i t b e a u t i f u l A u s t r a l i a . Thank you, l a d i e s and gen tlem en .