DREAMSCAPE: MỘNG HỒ ĐIỆP I RENAISSANCE RIVERSIDE HOTEL SAIGON
The group presentation “Dreamscape” features 20 works by talented artists Hoang Anh, Tuyen Nguyen, Nguyen Viet Anh, and Mifa. The display features multifaceted mediums from individual practices: watercolor on Dó paper, watercolor and acrylic on silk, oil on canvas, and acrylic on traditional Vietnamese Điệp paper. With Dreamscape, the audiences are invited to embark on a voyage of discovery through time and across dimensions as it evokes a sentimental dialogue between memories, dreams, and reality.
The title of the exhibition is borrowed from the famous passage in the ancient text Zhuangzi, "Zhuangzi dreamed of being a butterfly." This is an allegory often used in classical literature in both China and Vietnam. "It is unclear whether Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreamed it was Zhuangzi," raises questions about the nature of our existence and the world around us. The illusory objects and events in a dream suddenly appear, only to vanish into nothingness, beyond the control of human consciousness. Just as we cannot control our dreams, we cannot control the flow of life.
Are we living in the real world or in a deep dream? In a dream state, we are unable to recognize that we are dreaming. A dream only becomes clearly understood when we wake up. In dreams, everything seems very real, with full sensory experiences, making it difficult to distinguish between the realm of reality and the dream. Everything becomes possible in dreams, where natural laws, as well as space and time, are only approximate and symbolic.
Each dream is a story, a very unique experience for each individual. These moments, though fleeting, open gateways to strange new worlds and leave behind special fragments of memory. Hoàng Anh, through the journeys of a red chair, transcends the endless pine forests and lets himself drift through different dimensions to witness the changes of time. At times, the dream state blurs as past moments co-exist with the rhythm of the present life, vividly recreated in Tuyền Nguyễn's deep slumber. In other visions, Nguyễn Việt Anh transforms seemingly familiar architectural wonders, evolving them in tandem with the progress of society and humanity. Hidden beneath layers of sediment, Mifa seeks out the silent dialogues of forgotten memories within the flowing currents of nature’s endless cycle.
Catching glimpses of Rồng Phố [Dragon of the Urbanities], it is seen as it appears, disappears, and then reappears throughout dreams. With its regal posture, its head held up high, and its retained aura of a spiritual figure, that is what brings good fortune to men, as per Asian beliefs. Through a contemporary lens, the regal mystique creature seamlessly integrates with everyday life, as it exists amongst us.
It’s ordinary for Zhuangzi to dream of becoming a butterfly. But if 'The butterfly dreams of becoming Zhuangzi,' then the entire complex life is but a dream of the butterfly... And then, will we awaken after the dream?
