This event was held at T.U.N.G dining (Hanoi). This is a collaborative project between BTMA and Artist Pham Kieu Phuc.
The event is a meeting between the visual language of Bat Trang pottery and the fine dining experience, where cultural memories are evoked through many levels of perception.
Amidst the flow of time, there are signs that seem to have receded into the past but still silently exist in cultural memory. "Giao Chi" is not only a ceramic collection, but also a way for BTMA and Artist Pham Kieu Phuc to revisit a Vietnamese cultural memory through sculptural blocks with pristine inspiration. In the space of T.U. N. G dining, that story continues to expand through contemporary culinary interpretations created by Chef Hoang Tung.
Giao Chi Collection: The pristine shape of a memory
Originating from a legend about the anthropometrics of ancient Vietnamese people with the image of a foot with a thumb spreading horizontally, Artist Pham Kieu Phuc has transformed a symbolic memory into ceramic entities of a sculptural nature. After many years of living and working in Hoi An, reflections on cultural origins have motivated her to combine with BTMA's ceramic making techniques to develop this project.
The collection includes four works with aesthetic language formed from three main elements:
Sculpture shaping: Solid blocks evoke a quiet and profound Eastern feeling.
Primitive Art motifs: strokes inspired by primitive art, as a way to "pronounce" the visual language of the early period.
Color-overlay glaze technique: Multi-layer glaze layers are baked at a temperature of 1300°C, creating unrecurring color changes, making each work a unique identity.
Sharing about the collection, Artist Pham Kieu Phuc said: "Over time, Giao Chi's toes are considered a lost indicator. But loss does not mean disappear, it is transformation. Everything that is destined to become, and when destiny runs out, will appear in a different form. For me, Giao Chi's toes are both a sign that has receded into the past and a presence in the minds of Vietnamese people today.
The taste dialogue at T.U. N. G dining
For the first time, all works of the Giao Chi Collection are introduced in the space of T.U. N. G dining, the pioneering restaurant serving the first creative delicious menu in Vietnam. Once in the Top 100 best restaurants in Asia (2021) and continuously honored with Michelin Selected (2023–2025), T.U. N. G dining is where Chef Hoang Tung introduces small and pretty fast dishes inspired by ceramic works in BTMA's Collection.
For Chef Hoang Tung, cuisine is a way to tell stories with ingredients and taste memory. From traditional cheo developed into a separate version, Dong Du guava juice extracted, Moc Chau strawberries fermented, to contemporary interpretations of Vietnamese pho and Hoi An cao lau, each dish is a slice of the region and personal experience.
The menu was specifically designed for the launch event of the Giao Chi Collection at T.U. N. G dining, which is also where Chef Hoang Tung's creative spirit meets the cultural story that BTMA pursues: looking back at familiar materials of Vietnam to open up new interpretations in contemporary language.
The launch event is also an opportunity to meet directly with Bat Trang Museum Atelier, artist Pham Kieu Phuc and Chef Hoang Tung. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to creative stories behind the Giao Chi Collection, and experience a special menu designed specifically for the event at T.U. N. G dining.
