Saigon's Fine Arts Museum slowly opens up

Saigon’s Museum of Fine Arts has made a few changes in recent years. The space has expanded across 3 of the city’s most impressive French colonial era buildings, and the collection is also slowly moving beyond the 1970s and 80s communist orthodoxy that once defined it. Art in Vietnam may still be sensitive, but the Fine Arts Museum is gradually opening up to the world and to Vietnam’s immense artistic talent. One of the strangest things about the place is the paltry 45 cent (US) admission fee - which seems to diminish the collection before you get in the door. At ten times that price, it would still represent fair value for foreign tourists. There are plenty of constructive ways any extra cash could be spent too. Until 18 April, there’s a small exhibition of work by French Vietnamese artist Trang Suby One at the museum. That’s Trang in the photo. He has some great work on display, including the piece in the shot of a Honda ’67 motorbike, frozen mid-accident. In a country where road carnage is part of daily life, it’s a powerful piece. Contemporary work like Trang's was once a rarity inside the museum's walls. As it becomes more vibrant, the Fine Arts Museum is a more essential part of a visit to Saigon than ever. Allow at least a couple of hours. You may spend as much time admiring the old tiles, staircases and cast iron gates and lifts, as you do the art. I’m updating our entry on the museum this week.