An Old Quarter encounter, Hanoi

By Mark Bowyer / Last updated 26 May 2011

Introduction

Hanoi's Old Quarter remains rich in character. Even as the buildings modernise and what was once old looks increasingly new, the people continue to generate a special atmosphere. In this gallery, we revisit the home of recently deceased artist Vu Dan Tan.

©Photo: Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer, Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer, Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer, Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer
©Photo: Mark Bowyer

Hanoi's Old Quarter has a wonderful ability to throw up random unforgettable moments. Many of my fondest Vietnam street experiences have happened right here. And even as a wave of crass consumerism sweeps through Vietnam's capital, the Old Quarter is so far holding on to its spirit.
On a cool Hanoi evening two years ago, I was wandering along Hang Bong St and happened upon a small gallery, the home of Vietnamese artist Vu Dan Tan. As so often happens in Hanoi and elsewhere in Vietnam, the artist and his 83 year old mother invited me in for a look at his work, a cup of tea and a chat.
I ended up spending an hour or more with the worldly wise Tan before he took to the piano for a radical performance - his thin wild hair swinging and his already fragile hands shaking.
Tan was the consummate artist combining painting, sculpture and musical performance. He was clearly unwell too - looking very old for his 60 years and too close in age to his robust mother.
This morning I was roaming Hang Bong St once again and recognised Tan's aging mother, Ba Ha, on the street. She greeted me as she does any friendly face and invited me in to the gallery. I asked after Tan. With the unmistakable sadness of a still grieving mother, she told me he'd passed away 2 years ago, a few months after my previous visit.
Tan was from a Hanoi family steeped in the arts. His father was a playwright. He lived in Russia and Cuba during the Cold War and exhibited his work throughout the world. He spoke English, Spanish French and Russian in addition to his native Vietnamese.
Much of Tan's work railed against the emptiness of materialism.
Some of the pieces in his gallery still feature his mocking, impressionistic take on the Euro - part of a collection called Money for all times.
Pieces of Tan's work are on display and available for purchase at his home at 30 Hang Bong St, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Vu Dan Tan (1946 - 2009)