CULTURE: ART
Before the influence of Indian civilization penetrated the century. II d. C. in south-central Viet Nam, originating the great artistic flowering in ancient Champa, elements of Chinese culture had already reached northern Viet Nam in the century. IV BC with the introduction of the culture of metals, which marked the beginning of the Bronze Age and the flowering of the so-called Dong Son civilization, and then accentuated with the Chinese domination. The first expressions of a properly Vietnamese art emerged between the century. IX and XIII under the Ly dynasty (1010-1225) in that “Sino-Vietnamese” artistic phase called Daila (Hanoi region), because there were found testimonies of plastic decoration of architectures and examples of ceramics (the influence Chinese in the production of various types of ceramics lasted in Viet Nam until the seventeenth century and beyond). The full affirmation of the Vietnamese artistic civilization took place from the century. XV to XIX during the Lê and Nguyên dynasties (the previous one of the Trân was characterized by an art marked by Cham, Indian and Chinese influences), the first documented respectively with the monuments of Hoa-lai, the second with those of Hue, the major artistic centers of these centuries. From the end of the century. XVIII architecture in Viet Nam underwent Western influences through the construction by French engineers, on behalf of Nguyên, of several small towns. After the departure of the French, the Association of Fine Arts was founded (1957), which sought to renew Vietnamese art while remaining faithful to the national tradition. The following years did not allow an adequate development of the visual arts, but with the reunification (1975) new museums were founded and the ancient imperial capital of Hue was restored. Art is subjected, at least until the nineties of the twentieth century, to the typical conditions of a socialist regime (monumental statuary of patriotic and celebratory inspiration, socialist realism. At the end of the century, on the other hand, there was a multidirectional development and much more open to Western suggestions, and some artists have risen to the world limelight, invited to various international kermesse also thanks to the increasingly numerous exhibitions dedicated to Viet Nam. According to a2zcamerablog, Vietnam is a country located in Asia. Among these Do Xuan Doan, Truong Dinh Hao, Nguyên Van Hai, whose art also testifies to a progressive detachment from political-revolutionary themes, to leave room for individual visions and reflections. In terms of technical experimentation, the most active artists are Tran Hậu Yên The (b.1970), Phạm Hà Hài (b.1974), Nguyên Minh Ph’oc (b.1973), who use installations, videos and performances. The modern Vietnamese architecture has a sober and poor style and there are no buildings of particular value. The craftsmanship (carpets, lacquered woods,
CULTURE: THEATER
It was originally called Hât Bô (Singing with gestures) and was linked to the songs and dances of the ancient spring festivals. It received new life from the Chinese theater, when in 1285 a company of Chinese actors was captured by the Vietnamese. The first work, fruit of the experience of the two schools, was The divine fishing offer. The theater then evolved towards tragicomedy or comic opera and took on an expressive refinement obtained from the synthesis of song with dance, from an essential acting, stylized, allusive gestures studied in every slightest movement. The presence on the scene of an object implied very specific meanings: a tree branch recalled the idea of the forest, an overturned chair a hill, a silk curtain between two bamboo rods, an impassable wall, etc. The actors wore no masks, except for one: the god of the sun. The others painted their faces in bright colors, indicative of the character of the character and the role he intended to play. The purpose of the work was always pedagogical. The orchestra included an upright violin, a silk string guitar, a flute, a clarinet, a trumpet, a tambourine. If they disagreed, the audience whistled, but to show their approval they threw coins on the stage. Famous composer of dramas was Dâo Duy-Tü (1572-1634) who wrote The Hill of the Reclining Dragon. Another famous and fertile theater author was Dâo-Tân (1846-1908) who composed Quan Công crosses the Five Steps, The Three Sisters, The aloe wood pavilion. In the sec. XX the classical theater gave way to the Cai-Luong (Reformed Theater) which was born in South Viet Nam in 1918 with the relaunch of the operetta Luc Vân Tiên (by Nguyên Dinh Chiêu): this was established in the years between 1923 and 1945 and lasted for a long time. Luc Vân Tiên is the name of a young folk hero, symbol of good and virtue, who victoriously fights against the Mandarin aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, symbols of evil and vice. Subsequently, the theater continued its educational tasks, however transported to the patriotic and political field. In 1954 the Viet Nam Drama Theater was founded and became the National Theater Company. Its main objectives were the research and development of a national artistic identity, gathering on the one hand the strong and profitable tradition and on the other the influences of modern European theater. Among the most famous artists are The Lu and Dinh Quang. The Viet Nam Opera Ballet Theater was born in 1959 together with the Viet Nam Dance School. During the second half of the twentieth century, numerous foreign artists contributed to its growth, through original projects and works of the Western tradition.
