Winning work: Iron sculpture Du An Moi (New Project) by Tran Van An received the top prize at the National Young Fine Arts Festival 2014. — VNS Photo Minh Thu

HA NOI (VNS)— An iron sculpture depicting urban development received first prize at the National Young Fine Arts Festival, painter and head of the jury board Le Van Suu announced yesterday at the closing ceremony.

The idea for Du An Moi (New Project) occurred to artist Tran Van An when he rode his motorbike through the capital city and saw many newly inaugurated constructions as well as unfinished projects.

"These constructions promise to bring people a modern and comfortable life but at the same time, they show the consequences of urbanisation: pollution, green spaces replaced by concrete buildings and traffic jams caused by half-done construction," the artist from the northern province of Nam Dinh said.

Held at the Vet Nam University of Fine Arts, the festival featured 112 artworks created by 100 young artists from 19 provinces and cities.

Launched for the first time in 2007, the triennial festival aims to find young artists and develop the country's fine arts scene, helping artists integrate with the global contemporary art world.

"It's a big event for young artists," said Suu. "It's a chance for them to express their talent as well as concerns about life."

This year, the organising board received 762 entries from artists aged 18-35. Many of them revealed concerns about society, depicting lifestyle changes caused by modernisation and industrial development.

The painter also pointed to the young artists' efforts to discover new subjects and materials.

Although paintings still dominated the exhibition space, this year's festival saw the introduction of video art and multimedia installations. — VNS