HCM City to host Sotheby’s exhibition of Indochina paintings in Vietnam

Taking place from August 14 to 17 at Park Hyatt Saigon Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, the non-selling exhibition will open with the theme of "Mộng Viễn Đông" (The Faraway East: of Dreams and Pursuits) and will feature more than 50 pieces by artists, including the likes of Victor Tardieu, Jean-Louis Paguenaud, and André Maire.

Ace Le, country head of Vietnam for Sotheby’s, said, “As we are nearing the 100th anniversary of l'École des Beaux-Arts d'Indochine, it is important to recognise the contributions of the French artists who came here not just to set up an art academy, but an entire art movement with a legacy to last.”

“Their journeys embody a repertoire of personal and collective ambitions, dreams and perspectives, and reflect not just the Western influence on the Vietnamese art discourse, but also vice versa,” he added.

Following Sotheby’s debut non-selling exhibition in Vietnam last summer, “Hồn Xưa Bến Lạ” (Timeless Souls: Beyond the Voyage), which saw thousands of visitors from around the world attend the four-day event, Sotheby’s auction house will return with the upcoming exhibition in the southern city.

As a sequel to last year, the event will seek to explore the narrative of French artists who either travelled to or lived in French Indochina, and how they constructed their own unique visions of the land and its people.

All of the works brought by the French teachers of École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (Indochina School of Fine Arts) depict the various landscapes, families, rituals, and culture of Vietnam.

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. It promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions, as well as buy-now channels such as private sales, e-commerce, and retail.