Moral cleansing: Sulptures by Nguyen An are on display at the New Space Arts Foundation in Hue.

THUA THIEN-HUE (VNS)— More than 50 young artists are holding an exhibition in Hue City featuring a wide range of themes and media.

The display includes 36 paintings, 10 installations, four videos, two performance arts, a sculpture and two conceptual photos.

The two-dimensional works encompass oil on canvas or wood, acrylic, lacquer, watercolour on paper or silk, printmaking and mixed media. They employ both figurative and abstract visions.

"The artists contemplate social change as well as shifting values, speak about traditions and the impact of development, explore the personal psyche and sources of spirituality, and touch upon the eternal issue of human existence," said curator Natalia Kraevskaia.

"Their topics inspire the audience to consider a broad spectrum of problems and their possible solutions."

Nguyen Dinh Tuan explores the subtle relationship between humans and time in his conceptual photography series Stripe of Time.

Nguyen Phuong Bac suggests the relativity of presence and absence in his figurative painting Musician.

Phan Le Chung in his video Life and Death examines the correlation of life, death and salvation, opening the door to viewers' own assumptions and interpretations.

Other artists like Pham Duc Anh, Le Phuong Hieu and Nguyen Phi Long explore their spirituality and meditation, evoking a sense of melancholy and ethereal tranquility.

Some works aim to capture the ephemeral, such as Nguyen Thu Huong's The Image of Memories and Tran Hoai Diem's A Cry from the Heart.

Nguyen An's installation, three sculptural images of human figures preoccupied with exfoliating their skin, can be interpretated as the personal need for moral cleansing – the compulsion to peel away the husk generated by the negative impact of contemporary life.

This exhibition demonstrates the younger generation's keen interest in exploring new expressive territory and experimentation with media to establish a direct and frank dialogue with the audience.

The artists will discuss the evolution of Vietnamese art and their own work at a workshop in Tam Giang Lagoon on Friday.

The exhibition is being held by the Viet Nam Young Artists' Club with financial support from the Danish Embassy. The works are on display at New Space Arts Foundation, 15 Le Loi Street, from today until next Tuesday. — VNS