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| Hue Museum of Fine Arts currently has a collection of many valuable fine art works, but still lacks a space to exhibit them |
More precious works
2025 is considered a successful year for the Hue Museum of Fine Arts' collection efforts. Despite a limited budget, the museum successfully collected 8 works by 7 artists. They are the “Untitled” (Pham Luc), “The Huong River and Ancient Citadel” ( Nguyen Van Tuyen), “Even Saints also get weary” and “Mother Earth” (Buu Chi), “Adam and Eve” (Pham Thi Tuyet), “Going to market” (Do Xuan Phu), “Hue spring 1968” (Dang Mau Triet), and “Desolate winter” (Le Ba Cang).
Among them, the works by Buu Chi were highly praised by the council for their artistic quality, as they are “closer to new creations of global fine arts”. Similarly, the painting of Nguyen Van Tuyen possess a distinct “Hue essence”, with misty colors appearing and disappearing amidst the haze, and the distant ancient citadel creating a poetic and serene atmosphere of the Ancient Capital. Previously, the museum had also purchased paintings from both of these artists.
The collection also includes a work by artist Pham Luc a native of Hue currently living in Hanoi. The lacquer painting of a man holding a bamboo pipe is executed with a powerful yet graceful brushwork. Hidden, angled, and broken lines depict the character's essence in the lively yet minimalist everyday life.
To date, Hue Museum of Fine Arts has collected over 70 works from artists and sculptors who are Hue natives, or living, studying, and working in Hue. These are artists who contributed to the development of Hue fine arts from the early 20th century to the present, with funding from the state budget. This is a commendable effort by the museum's leaders and the support of experts and the art council, etc., given that the annual budget of 2 - 3 billion VND is extremely limited, while the competition from the market and other collectors for those works is also extremely fierce. Thanks to these efforts, the museum's collection boasts many valuable works by renowned artists, namely Ton That Dao, Ton That Sa, Ton That Van, Buu Chi, Mai Trung Thu, Hoang Dang Nhuan, Truong Be, Do Ky Hoang, Vinh Phoi, Dinh Cuong, Phan Xuan Sanh, and Vo Xuan Huy, etc.
In addition to works collected with the state budget, many organizations, individuals, artists, and collectors have donated thousands of other artifacts, artworks, sketches, and documents. All of these contribute to the research and content for the exhibition space.
7 years of waiting
Despite having such a substantial art collection, the museum has yet to fully showcase its value. The only exception was in 2023, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the establishment of Hue Museum of Fine Arts, when the collection was exhibited at a location outside the museum, and only to be put back into storage afterward.
Many people, interested in fine arts and the story of museums in Hue, have expressed regret. Nhat Quang (Vy Da Ward), an art enthusiast, shared that collecting such artworks is not simple; it requires not only money but also effort and the support of the artists' families. Yet, the lack of an exhibition space for the public to enjoy is a disadvantage for both the paintings and the art-loving public.
Established in 2018, the Hue Museum of Fine Arts has been on the map of Hue's cultural institutions for seven years, but still lacks an exhibition space.
Despite numerous meetings and calculations with various proposed plans to find a “venue” for the exhibition space of the fine art works, everything has remained at a standstill. The budget is spent annually on collecting paintings, but the paintings are then stored in warehouse, and the public has no idea when they will be able to see them.
Ms. Dinh Thi Hoai Trai, Director of the Hue Museum of Fine Arts, said that at many meetings, the museum has proposed that relevant departments, branches and sectors agree on a plan to submit to Hue City People's Committee for approval of a project on the exhibition space for fine art works and a headquarters. Once a headquarters is in place, the museum can proceed with exhibiting, showcasing and promoting the artistic value of the Ancient Capital, and serving the research needs and artistic enjoyment of the public, as well as domestic and international visitors. However, as of now, there is no official headquarters, leaving dozens of precious paintings in a state of waiting to be displayed.