The “Underlying” exhibition will be the first event co-organized by a group of contemporary artists from the Mekong sub-region. The 32 artworks on display will include oil paintings, wood-engravings, multimedia films, photography and installation art.

The inaugural event is part of the Mekong Art and Culture Project, which aims to help artists develop practical skills and then apply them in day-to-day life as curators for their own exhibition, said the Viet Art Centre (VAC).

The co-organisers hope to help visitors better understand the social diversity, social issues and contemporary lifestyles in the Mekong sub-region as well as the artistic spirit of each country.

Selected artworks reflect the development of the Vietnamese contemporary art in the 1997-2007 period and the impact of art on Vietnamese society.