​Hanoi opens first nude photo exhibition

An artistic nude photo exhibition, the first of its kind to be held in Hanoi, began its week-long run today, July 20.

The exhibition will take place from July 20 to July 27 at the Center for Exhibition of Fine Arts and Photography at 29 Hang Bai Street in Hoan Kiem District.

The Department of Fine Art, Photography and Exhibition organized the event to showcase the 52 nude photos it deemed worthy of the country’s third ever exhibition featuring nude subjects.

The ten photographers with works on display include Thai Phien, Duong Quoc Dinh, Nguyen Dzung Art, Dao Duc Hieu, Pho Ba Cuong, Nguyen A, Ngo Van Phu, Do Thi Mai, Le Quang Chau, and Tran Nhan Quyen – all well-known for their contributions to the country’s nascent nude art scene.

According to the organizers, the artworks featured in the show were selected to highlight the beauty of women and introduce attendees to the intricacies of the human aesthetic and its values.

An artistic nude photo by Do Thuy Mai

While nude photography is nearly as old as photography itself, it is still a ‘sensitive’ artistic mode in Vietnam.  

The pieces on display at the event are the physical representation of the passion, sweat, and tears the ten featured artists have sacrificed to change public perceptions of the genre.

Initially, the organizers intended to label the exhibition as an ‘18+ event,’ and require an ID check for visitors.

However, the idea was scrapped after both the public and the artists voiced their concerns over artistic censorship.

“The exhibition aims to create an orientation and to help people to distinguish nude art from erotic art,” a representative of the Department of Fine Art, Photography and Exhibition said in a statement.

So far, only two other nude art exhibitions have been held in Vietnam – Tao Tac by Hao Nhien in September 2017, and Mien Co Tich by Thai Phien in June 2018.