The Japan Foundation Vietnam has invited two Japanese artists to spend some time in Hanoi to create an exhibition together with a well-known Hanoi artist

They are currently preparing an exhibition that will open at the Japan Foundation in Hanoi on 28 Oct and run to 20 Nov 2011.

The three artists -

• sound artist Mamoru (Mamoru Okuno)
• photographer Michi (Motoyuki Shitamichi)
• and Hanoi artist Tuan Mami, probably best known for his performance pieces

- met in Tokyo recently when Mami was doing a residency there.
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(originally posted October 26, 2011)

A day before the opening, I am at the Japan Foundation office, resting a bit before getting back on exhibition site to install works.

As I wrote on the other day, I am working on the two works. One is about listening to the sound of Hanoi; the title is “THE WAY I HEAR / HAY LẮNG NGHE.” The work would be combined with a small piece called “tuning plugs,” which probably help people reading the sound description in a little silent way, and it will create another moment but I won’t write it here, you should try and see if you can get it.

The other one is one of my etude works; etude no.11 variation for 2 electric fans and 200 tin hangers. I have made the similar variation for hangers and electric fan in Aomori, and in Taiwan this year. And this time in Hanoi.

The new variation is inspired by a specific experience. On Oct 10th, I wrote the following: After a week of humid & raining days, the sun light finally came out through the dusty air. Today, I saw lots of laundry on all kinds of cables/wires out on the street; the electric cables between houses and trees, metal wire crossing over the streets, and even on the barbed wires! There were full of closes hanged under the sky. It was beautiful and I just imagined what the sound might be like if wind blows when people put off the close and left some hangers there.

I have written more about two other artists, and I can write about mine more, however, instead of doing so, I would like to introduce the text that Mizuki Takahashi, a curator of the Contemporary Art Center Art Tower Mito, wrote for our booklet of the exhibition.

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(originally posted October 26, 2011)

Only 2 and a half days to open our exhibition!

All of us are busy working on our own works. I have made boxes to put the listening note. And Finally, I started working in the gallery space from yesterday. I am installing one of my etude, “etude no.11 hanger, variation with two fan and 200 tin hangers.”

I would like to write little bit about Mami, one of the participating artist.

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(originally posted October 19, 2011)
It’s the 19th day in Hanoi.

I am getting use to the city, meaning I know some faces at restaurants that I go often and I started to learn several useful expressions in Vietnamese to buy or order what I want now. Most  importantly, I don’t hesitate to cross the street anymore! (maybe at night it still scares me sometime, though)

Well, the exhibition opening is getting close. and all of us, Mami, Michi, Mamoru = 3Ms are preparing for own works to be installed. I want to write a little bit about the two other artists participating in this exhibition.

Today I will introduce Michi, my artist friend, ex-neighbor, now-roomate, one of the 3Ms.

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(originally posted October 15, 2011)
15 days since I arrived here in Hanoi.

I have been taking the listening notes that is quite similar to what Raymond Murray Schafer introduced as a educational exercise in his texts.

You just sit down and listen to all the sound around you for about 10 min or so. While listening, you take memos of what you hear or describe the scene/action you can imagine from the sound and in some case together with the information about the place if you already know.

For example, as I am writing this texts, I hear
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(originally posted October 12, 2011)
It has been raining and so humid in Hanoi since I arrived. Last two, three days, we finally have some sun light. Also, we had no water, or no electricity sometime, it is difficult to concentrate on work; however, you gottta do what you gotta do!

The detail of the exhibition is as following.
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(originally posted October 06, 2011)

A week has passed since I arrived here in Hanoi.
Yes, it is an asian “noisy” city, however its energetic rhythm makes me feel good.
And off course, great food. Pho, rice noodle with some herbs, or Banh my, french bread with sausage slice and chili sause, in the morning.
I am riding a bicycle to move around the city now. I first was afraid of driving, but after realizing how slow people are actually driving, maybe about 20-30km/h?, and most of the people are very cautious about who’s driving in what way sort of things. Constantly, you hear the horns of cars and motorbikes. The use of the horn is quite different from the one in Japan, people are just saying like “I’m here, watch out, just in case” or something like, “I’m going to pass next to you, don’t come this way.” I mean it is not so loud in its essence.
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(originally posted October 01, 2011)

I will be in Vietnam, Hanoi from tomorrow on. The Japan Foundation has invited me and another artist from Japan to do an exhibition there. I will be there for more than a month, and am lookign forward to hear the noise of the city. I have been studying about the history and culture of Vietnam, and it makes me very curious to see what is there now. I want to hear/listen and see the people.

I will be updating my trip on blog and also Twitter. so if you have an account please follow me @afewnotes, and if you dont you can still see my tweets and mostly images from my iPhone if you scroll down and check the right field on this page.