Face to face: Visitors pause to look at the painting, The One Who is Looking at Me No 5, by Indonesian artist Agung Mangu Putra. — VNS Photo Van Dat

HCM CITY (VNS)— Works by 21 contemporary artists from Indonesia are part of an exhibition called Picturing Pictures that has opened at the HCM City Museum of Fine Arts.

The exhibition is organised by the Consulate General of Indonesia in HCM City, with support from the museum and the Art Xchange Gallery.

The pieces on display are a blend of styles from each region of Indonesia, merging the past and the present as well as the traditional and the contemporary.

Dalton Sembiring, the acting Consul General of Indonesia in HCM City, said in a speech at the opening ceremony that the exhibit was being held to celebrate diplomatic relations and co-operation between Indonesia and Viet Nam.

The artworks, which provide insight into Indonesia's national consciousness and humanity, were widely acclaimed, he added.

Indonesia was currently experiencing profound changes, all of which had provided rich sources of inspiration for artists to explore new approaches on paper with water and ink, he said.

The curator of the exhibition, Jim Supangkat, selected the works from the country's veteran and up-and-coming artists.

Supangkat, along with Indonesian and Vietnamese artists, will take part in a seminar today on Vietnamese art. It will be held at the Van Thanh Tourist Park at 48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street in Binh Thanh District.

The artworks can be seen at the HCM City Museum of Fine Arts, 97A Pho Duc Chinh Street in District 1 until June 29. — VNS