An ao dai in collection by private collector Thai Kim Lan

HA NOI (VNS) — An art show will be held in Ha Noi Goethe Institute showcasing an ao dai collection on January 15.

The exhibition, titled The Gorgeous Yellow Runs Over Pale Leaves, will feature an elaborate multimedia space installation by artist Veronika Witte, with elements from daily life in Viet Nam, and a video performance displayed on eight screens.

Through the appropriation, use, reservation and ultimate disappearance of ao dai, these gowns have acquired meaning and importance, and now, their stories will be told in this exhibition.

In the installation featuring an interview, eight individuals, including a 95-year-old servant in royal court and a 19-year-old student, discuss the ao dai, without ever having met each other. Fictional conversations about preserving the memory of the era and the meaning of ao dai in their own lives develop.

For the opening event, Witte and art collector Thai Kim Lan will deliver a short introduction on the ao dai theme and explain their personal connection to the garments.

Artists and experts will speak as part of the exhibition on January 17 at 7pm. — VNS