What's On This Week: November 13 - 19

Let's celebrate the monsoon season with visual and conceptual art, European jazz and Vietnam's mesmerizing water theatrical shows. Nightlife is as vibrant as ever and of course, free craft beer and wine tasting for the weekend!

HCMC | Conceptual Art: An Introduction – With Alessandra Dias

The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di, D2
Opening: 4 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Conceptual art prioritizes idea over the finished object, even its aesthetics, expression, skills or material concerns. Such drastic simplification has been heating up the debate whether it is true art since the dawn of the movement.

Love it or hate it, come join speaker/cultural manager Alessandra Dias to learn more.

About the speaker (From The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre)

Alessandra Dias is a cultural manager with a deep interest in art education. She has worked on numerous outreach projects at schools, museums, art fairs and galleries in New York and Singapore. Her projects target audiences ranging from kindergarten students all to way to senior citizens. She has a master degree in Arts and Cultural Management and has been based in Southeast Asia since 2008.

Language: English with Vietnamese translation

Free entry

Picture: ‘One and Three Chairs’ - Joseph Kosuth, 1965 

HCMC | Hello Faces Art Exhibition: Portraits by Karl Fajardo at Indika

Indika Saigon, 43 Nguyen Van Giai, D1
7 p.m., November 16-17

A smile, a glance, a stare, a smirk, a nod at the camera - Karl Fajardo mastered the art of one-shot portraits.

HCMC | Exhibition: Slices I Lát Cắt I Ngô Văn Sắc

Craig Thomas Gallery, 27i Tran Nhat Duat
6 p.m., Thursday, November 17

Hanoian artist Ngo Van Sac burns wood to portray the hidden beauty of Vietnam’s ethnic minority groups.

HCMC | Exhibition: Xem8 - InstaMì

Craig Thomas Gallery, 27i Tran Nhat Duat
September 29 - November 26

Can food, artwork or a modern relationship packed like a bag of instant noodles? Artists of The Factory search for different answers.

HCMC | 'Paradise Lost' by Hoang Thanh Vinh Phong

The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di, D2
September 29 - November 26

Hoang Thanh Vinh Phong takes images and objects from the everyday out of context, heightened with a sense of ambiguity to ask us to look beyond the first glance. 

HCMC |  Exhibition: Spirit of Friendship

The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, 15 Nguyen U Di, D2
September 29 - November 26

Explore a comprehensive display of 22 artist-groups from across the country, in celebrating friendships and the testing of ideas over time.

HCMC | Woodcut Printmaking Workshop: Expressionist Portraits

Indika Saigon, 43 Nguyen Van Giai, D1
12 p.m., Sunday, November 19 

Complete a portrait in a similar style as German Expressionist Karl Schmidt - would it be a challenge?

Vinh Phuc | Outdoor Exhibition: Art in the Forest 2017

Flamingo Dai Lai Resort, Ngoc Thanh, Phuc Yen
October 28 - November 28 

For a month, international artists explore a vast green space of more than 50 hectares (123 acres) with 25 unique wood and metal sculptures.

Hanoi | Exhibition: Across the Storm

Vietnamese Women’s Museum, 36 Ly Thuong Kiet
November 15 - 20

20 female vendors from Bai Da Market survived domestic abuse; now they come together to raise their voices.

Hanoi |  Installation: 'Le sac'

L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien, Hanoi
6 p.m., Thursday, November 16

Is the human body a 'stinky leather bag'? Artist Tran Quy Duc searches for an answer.

Hanoi | Exhibition: Sparkling – Collection of Lacquered and Gilded Wood Objects

Vietnam National Museum of History, 1 Trang Tien
June 20 - November 30

Explore the lacquering and gilding techniques of Vietnam's Le and Nguyen dynasties through nearly 100 documents and objects.

Hanoi |  Contemporary Art Exhibition: Du & Doi

Heritage Space Library, Dolphin Plaza, 6 Nguyen Hoang
3 p.m., Sunday, November 19

One of the biggest display of Vietnamese artists Ngo Xuan Binh and Le Van Thin - with 300 artworks in lacquer, oil, and paper.

Hanoi |  Exhibition: Utopia Land

Heritage Space Gallery, Fl.1 Dolphin Plaza 6 Nguyen Hoang
October 29 - November 30

15 international artists set up a dreamy, utopian world by multimedia art. 

Hanoi |  Ceramics Workshop with Gốm Chi

Gom Chi, 43 Van Kiep
1:30 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Discover the secret of human hands with ceramic masters of Gom Chi, a 50-year-old brand of Hanoi.

Hanoi |  Book Intro: Photography in Southeast Asia 

Heritage Space Library, Dolphin Plaza, 6 Nguyen Hoang
3 p.m., Sunday, November 19, 2017

Singaporean artist Zhuang Wubin spent a decade traveling Southeast Asia and curated the finest angles of life via photography.

Hanoi |  Exhibition: 'Just by Being' by Phuong Gio

Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich, Hanoi
November 3 - 26

Artist Phuong Gio paints on old books, pharmacopoeia and old bibles from the Tày ethnic group to capture a vanishing culture.

Hanoi |  Exhibition: NABE & House of Earth

L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien, Hanoi
9:30 a.m., Saturday, November 18

Nabe.Arc Group, a charity volunteer in community projects, share pictures and stories about Ngoc Long, Ha Giang Province.

Hanoi | Exhibition: Trio

Vicas Art Studio, 32 Hao Nam, Dong Da
5 p.m., Friday, November 17 

Abstract, neo and metaphoric expressionism artworks from three Vietnamese contemporary artists. 

Hanoi & HCMC | European Music Festival 2017

Opening: 8:00 p.m., Friday, November 17
Youth Theatre, 11 Ngo Thi Nham, Hanoi
HCMC Conservatory of Music, 112 Nguyen Du, District 1, HCMC

A total of 17 concerts in both cities, European Music Festival takes Vietnamese audience through a journey of classical music, improvising jazz, soulful R&B to captivating blues melodies. 

Vietnamese pop singer Thanh Lam will join Michael Møller from Denmark on a jazz-pop opening night in Hanoi. Electronic R&B and classical duos and quintets follow with virtuoso artists from Austria to Sweden. Curtains close with a German classical and Hungarian jazz show.

See the detailed schedule here.

See where to collect free tickets

HCMC | Nguyen Ha & Songs about love

RedDoor, 400/8 Le Van Sy st., Ward 14, D3,
8 p.m., Thursday, November 16

Enter the Eden garden of sad love songs with Vietnamese singer Nguyen Ha. 

HCMC | A Night of Concertos

The Saigon Opera House, 7 Lam Son Quare, D1
8 p.m., Friday, November 17

Join the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera for a night of eminent soloists from Vietnam and Japan.

HCMC | Classical Music Concert: Love and Tragedy

Salon Saigon, 6d Ngo Thoi Nhiem, D3
6:30 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Debussy encompassed by visual arts - a reunion for Saigon's classical music lovers.

Hanoi | Electro-Acoustic Improvisation: Parallel Asteroids

Manzi Art Space, 14 Phan Huy Ich
8 p.m., Friday, November 17

In a few cozy hours, Parallel Asteroids bring their saxophone and synthesizer to experiment with electro-acoustic sounds.

Hanoi | Experimental: Beyond Sounds

Heritage Space, Dolphin Plaza, 6 Nguyen Hoang, Cau Giay
8 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Will Guthrie, Australian drummer, percussionist living in France, explores the wonders of improved jazz.

Hanoi | The Fifth Cardinal Direction

Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien
8 p.m., Wednesday, November 15

Join musicians Cao Thanh Lan and Gregor Siedl in a self-exploration journey through Vietnamese folk music.

Hanoi | Cultural Show: The Quintessence of Tonkin

Da Phuc Village (near Thay Pagoda), Sai Son Commune, District Ba Dinh
7:30 p.m., November 1 - 30

In Vietnam, interactive, outdoor stage is more trendy than ever. In June 2017, 'The Past Land of Doai', a mesmerizing show with hundreds of performers, all villagers from the Doai Village in the suburb of Hanoi, broke into the trend with applauses from nationwide critics. Shortly after, The Quintessence of Tonkin debuted, employing hundreds of professional dancers and determined to tell a compelling story.

It starts with venerable monk Tu Dao Hanh, the founder of nearby Thay Pagoda, weaves in with the ancient connection of religion and monarchy, then ends with stunning and spectacular settings.

A less than an hour drive from Hanoi, the show is one of unmissable new faces in Vietnam's contemporary theater scene. 

Photos from The Quintessence of Tonkin Show

HCMC | À Ố Show

Saigon Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, D1
6 p.m., Saturday, November 18

A mix of bamboo cirque, acrobatic acts, contemporary dance and theatrical visual art.

Hanoi | Circus Show: My Village

Vietnam Tuong Theater, 51 Duong Thanh & Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien
6 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, November 18 - 19

Vietnamese peaceful village life via breathtaking contemporary cirque.

Hanoi | Ionah Show 

Star Galaxy, 87 Lang Ha, Ba Dinh
8 p.m., Sunday, November 19

A fairy tale journey of Ionah, a Hanoian girl through time and space.

Hanoi |Tứ Phủ - Four Palaces Show 

Cong Nhan Theater, 42 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem
6 & 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Vietnamese director Viet Tu puts the incarnation ritual of Vietnam's Mother Goddess religion to a magnificent stage. 

Hanoi | Vogue Dance Workshop with Teddy/Malaysia

Wonder Dance Studio, 4th floor, 30 Doan Thi Diem, Dong Da
6 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Unleash your wild feminine self with the sassy vogue dance.

HCMC | Future Shorts Vietnam

Saigon Outcast, 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, D2

7 p.m., Friday, November 17

Future Shorts, a large short film network operating in 100 cities and 40 countries, is coming to Ho Chi Minh City. Each season, it handpicks award-winning international short films to screen a 90-minute program.

In Ho Chi Minh City, film enthusiasts will be treated with a diverse range of cinema, from experimental animation and trippy visuals for pumping basslines, to touching, intimate dramas.

Ticket: VND80,000 ($3.5) - available at door

HCMC | Screening: Felix & Meira

Yoko cafe, 22A Nguyen Thi Dieu, D3
8 p.m., Sunday, November 19

The unconventional romance of a Hasidic Jewish mother and a secular loner mourning the recent death of his estranged father.

HCMC | Screening: 'I am Heath Ledger'

Saigon Outcast, 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, District 2,
8:30 p.m., Thursday, November 16

A closer look at Ledger's life through the actor's own camera lens.

Hanoi | Screening: Loving Vincent

Hanoi Home, 4/31 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
9 p.m., Friday, November 17

If you missed the cinema release, catch up with the 2017 oil-painting animation masterpiece of Vincent van Gogh's life here. 

Hanoi | Screening: Human

L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien
8 p.m., Sunday, November 19

Filmmaker, UN Ambassador Yann Arthus-Bertrand creates a galaxy of work embracing human conditions and reflecting on our own existence.

Hanoi | Screening: The Outsider

L'Espace, 24 Trang Tien
8 p.m., Friday, November 17

'An engaging drama about the less known aspects of the trading activity inside one of the biggest banks in the world' - Société Générale.

Hanoi | Literature on Screen: The Hours

TPD 51 Tran Hung Dao
8 p.m., Sunday, November 19

How the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives.

Hanoi | Stand-up Comedy: Phil Kay (UK)

Standing Bar, 170 Tran Vu, Hanoi
8:30 p.m., Thursday, November 16

Phil Kay is a storyteller and a self-proclaimed master of mirth and mayhem. Constantly playing with words and bubbling with exuberance, when Phil Kay gets on the stage he dances around it like a giant child who has woken up with an adult’s body. “He is fertile, feral, otherworldly and exploding with energy", wrote Claire Smith from The Scotsman in a review of his recent show at the Edinburgh Fringe. "What an absolute joy to see Phil Kay bringing a sweaty cellar full of people to full-on, excited, rolling laughter.”

On the scene for almost three decades — in 1994 he won the award for Best Stand-Up at the British Comedy Awards.

Tickets available at Standing Bar, 170 Tran Vu, Truc Bach (4 p.m. - 12 a.m. daily except Mondays) 

HCMC | The Chillies & Sinco band

Yoko cafe, 22A Nguyen Thi Dieu, D3
9 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Entranced night with pop-rock vibes. 

HCMC | Krewella x Trap Room

Envy Club, 76 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, D1 
9 p.m., Thursday, November 16

Sisters Jahan Yousaf and Yasmine Yousaf to fire up District 1 with their sick electronic dance beat.

HCMC | Mash Up: Tddchll , Larria , Tizone , IVY

Piu Piu, 97 Hai Ba Trung, D1
9 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Meet Saigon's aspiring indie artists.

HCMC | Music Trivia Blind Test

Rogue Saigon, 2nd floor, 13 Pasteur, Ho Chi Minh City
8:30 p.m., Thursday, November 16

Is your music knowledge lavish? Test it this Thursday.

HCMC | Sunday Reggae Reunion

Indika Saigon, 43 Nguyen Van Giai, D1
2 p.m., Sunday, November 19

Join Saigon's reggae community and get wild all day with jungle beats.

Hanoi | Cá Hồi Hoang Band - GAP Tour 2017

Hanoi Rock City, 27/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho
7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 18

Join Saigon's aspiring indie band Ca Hoi Hoang on their first national tour. 

Hanoi | Ladies Night - DJ Lady River - Free Rum/Vodka

Vibes - Garden Bar, 16a Dang Thai Mai, Tay Ho
9 p.m., Thursday, November 16

Join Lady River with blissful beats all the way from Cape Town.

Hanoi | Post Quest Live

Hanoi Rock City, 27/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho
8 p.m., Friday, November 17

How to cure your Quest hangover? Party more.

 

Hanoi | Nirvana Tribute Show

Hanoi Rock City, 27/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho
9 p.m., Sunday, November 19

And the rock-n-roll lives on. 

HCMC | Saigon Craft Beer Festival 2017

Saigon Outcast, 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, D2
12 p.m., Saturday & Sunday, November 18-19

Saigon's flourishing craft beer will be full on display with 14 local brewers: Saigon Home Brewers, Lazy Duck, Mad Dragon, Spike Beer, Lac Brewing, CBrewmaster, Three on a Bike, Fuzzy Logic Brewing,Rooster Beers,Tê Tê Craft Beer, Pasteur Street Brewing Company, Heart of Darkness Craft Brewery, Saigon Cider, Winking Seal Beer and East West Brewing. 

It's a family and kid friendly event with food, drink and jazz music all day.

Ticket: VND60,000 ($2.6) - one free beer included

 

Hanoi |  Italian Culture Fair: Piazza Italia

Ly Thai To Square
11 a.m., Saturday, November 18 & 9 a.m., Sunday, November 19

Celebrating Italy-Asean Week with Italian food & wine tasting, musical performances and an original show on the Renaissance at the busy walking center of Hanoi.

Hanoi |  Kid-friendly: Handicraft Bazaar

Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Nguyen Van Huyen, Cau Giay
9 a.m., Saturday, November 18, 2017

In an all-day event, ethnic minority artisans from all over Vietnam will come to sell accessories, home decors and unique gifts. 

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