The Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024 (November 9-17) brings together a variety of cultural industries, promising an array of rich, creative experiences for the public. With a series of events spanning 12 cultural sectors, the festival marks a significant step in Hanoi’s dynamic and diverse cultural industry development, affirming its pioneering role as the nation’s capital.
Design remains the core of the Festival each year, encompassing all activities and spaces across the city. This includes graphic design, interior design, product design, fashion design, and more. The design also connects to architecture and symbolic structures representing the Festival. The concept of “design thinking” is introduced by the organizers as a novel approach for devising solutions, creating a vibrant and diverse festival, advancing cultural industries in Hanoi, and encouraging the participation of districts and departments citywide.
This year, the appearance of Fine Arts and Contemporary Arts, covering painting, sculpture, photography, and art installations, adds a rich, vibrant artistic dimension to the Festival. Notably, My Grandfather’s Clock by Dang Thuy Anh, Hanoi Bedroom Shows, and The Childhood Star Club feature as a distinctive ballet-room installation on the fourth floor of the Hanoi Children’s Palace, merging images, light, movement, and sound. The Diem Phung Thi Playground by Think Playgrounds and exhibition curators at the Children’s Palace takes inspiration from the modular sculpture style of the late artist Diem Phung Thi, creating a unique playground that embodies the artist’s modular forms as part of the festival’s campus
The Fairytale of Amadeus Vu Dan Tan exhibition is a large-scale sculpture installation inspired by artist Vu Dan Tan’s sketch series, Architectural Fantasies. Artworks are arranged across various spaces, weaving a fairytale of the enigmatic, fictional character Amadeus Vu Dan Tan, a traveler through diverse realms of space and time. Drawing from the domed architecture of the observatory atop the Hanoi Children’s Palace and the traditional children’s lantern game, curator Van Do and artist Nguyen Tran Nam, in collaboration with Ly Trang, present Fragile Projections, an art exhibition that evokes a unique sense of sacredness and offers a meaningful visual experience.
The field of music remains indispensable, with a standout feature being the return of the rock show Hanoi: A Place to Return. As one of the largest outdoor performances within the framework of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024, the event brings together legendary Hanoi rock bands spanning decades, including Purple Blues, Thuy Trieu Do, Ly Buc, and Blue Whales. This promises to deliver a vibrant and exhilarating atmosphere that encapsulates the spirit of the festival. On a more intimate scale, the Play Station – Improvised Sounds workshop, led by artist Ian Richter and curator Nguy Hai An, focuses on creating spontaneous sounds using instruments crafted from recycled materials such as bottles, boxes, plastic tubes, and reclaimed wood. These unconventional yet familiar and eco-friendly instruments enrich the musical experience and inspire creative thinking.
This year, the culinary arts will take on a more prominent role as an indispensable part of the festival. The public will have the opportunity to savor a wide array of Hanoi’s signature delicacies and innovative dishes that blend tradition with modernity, presented by collaborations between traditional and contemporary culinary establishments.
The performing arts (theater) sector, with plays and contemporary artistic performances, will offer audiences exciting and novel experiences. The Tho Dia project is a theatrical production set to premiere in Vietnam at the Red Scarf Theater, Hanoi Children’s Palace, during the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024. Inspired by the image of the guardian deity Tho Dia, a figure tasked with protecting specific locations and their residents, the performance combines puppetry, oratory, and installation art to narrate stories of the city from its past to its future. An excerpt from the musical The Man Who Laughs, adapted from the renowned novel by Victor Hugo, will also grace the stage this festival season.
The gaming and software sector, featuring video games and virtual reality, are sure to captivate young audiences during the Festival. Among the highlights is the STEM and HUNA Robot Creative Science Workshop, an engaging rendezvous for youth eager to explore and learn through discovery and innovation. The Fall Workshop is expected to provide “interactive experiences between participants and machines.” Inspired by Boston Dynamics’ video showcasing research on improving bipedal robots’ ability to handle falls, the workshop emphasizes learning from mistakes and bouncing back stronger. Artist Nguyen Hoang Giang seeks to evoke thoughts on the development of robotics driven by human creativity and actions. The Fall imagery symbolizes the challenges and obstacles humans face in their quest for technological advancement and self-improvement.
The handicraft sector, a hallmark of Hanoi’s identity, continues to shine at the Festival. Traditional handicraft products will be showcased, contributing to preserving and promoting national cultural values. The “Secret” Fair and Makers Market – Child Routes will offer unique handcrafted items curated under strict criteria by HIT (Hanoi Indie Troupe), a community of independent young designers. Visitors to the fair will have the chance to own exquisite, one-of-a-kind handicrafts.
This year, the film sector takes center stage with an impressive lineup of feature films, documentaries, and animations, offering the public vivid perspectives on life and society. Highlights include “When We Were Young: A Cinematic Memoir of Vietnamese Children in Wartime”, screening two notable state-produced films from the 1970s: The Little Girl of Hanoi (Director Hai Ninh, 1974) and When Mother’s Away (Director Nguyen Khanh Du, 1979). Other events include Forgive Me (1992) by Director Luu Trong Ninh, hosted by the Vietnam Film Institute; a Talkshow by the U.S. Embassy featuring a screening and discussion of The Last Repair Shop; and A Journey to the World of Inspiration: Czech Animated Films. These cinematic activities enrich the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024.
The publishing sector makes its presence felt at the Festival through new book launches and unique literary works. At Nguy Nhu Kon Tum Hall – University of Social Sciences and Humanities, a talkshow about The Beauty of Mundane Landscapes, featuring author Dang Hoang Giang and director Nguyen Hoang Diep, promises to attract book lovers. Literature also finds its way into the Children’s Workshop: There It Is! Amadeus Dan Tan! connected with the Fairy Tales of Amadeus Vu Dan Tan installation exhibition. This initiative, designed and curated by Phuong Vu, an educational curator, and Pham Thi Hoai Anh, a children’s book education expert, is carried out by The Initiative of Children’s Book Creative Content (ICBC) in Vietnam. The workshop adds excitement by involving participants in a treasure hunt for the mysterious character, Amadeus Dan Tan.
The advertising industry also contributes through creative campaigns across the city, enhancing the Festival’s visibility and inspiring residents. A special showcase of advertisements for creative cultural spaces, displayed via panels and screenings, will feature works and projects within the Festival framework. This display is being prepared at Exhibition House, 93 Dinh Tien Hoang.
Above all, the hallmark of the Festival lies in its interdisciplinary nature and the dynamic connections between cultural industries, underscoring its essence of collaboration and innovation.
Binh Minh