The 61st Venice Art Biennale marks an important turning point for Vietnamese fine arts when for the first time there is an official National Exhibition Pavilion in Venice - one of the largest contemporary art centers in the world.
With the theme "Vietnam: Art in Global Flow", Vietnam's exhibition space is not only a place to introduce works of art, but is seen as a declaration of culture.
Accordingly, Le Huu Hieu is one of the typical representatives of the generation of Vietnamese artists who are striving to connect tradition with the language of contemporary art. His creative journey is not a series of immediate successes, but a long-term accumulation process, built on a foundation of in-depth research into history, heritage and Vietnamese cultural materials.
Le Huu Hieu becoming the only Vietnamese artist with a solo exhibition at the upcoming Venice Biennale 61 is not only a milestone of his own, but also creates a foundation for Vietnamese artists in the future to access international art spaces in a more methodical and sustainable way.
In the Vietnamese exhibition booth at Venice Biennale 61, the installation "Tam" (Baco da seta) by artist Le Huu Hieu plays a central role, not only visually but also conceptually. The work is displayed from May 9 to November 22 as a multi-layered art structure, where traditional, historical and contemporary life elements are subtly interwoven.
The installation space is organized as an experiential journey. One of the important highlights of the work is the image of the Silkworm. The cycle of life of the silkworm, from birth, growth, spinning silk, becoming cocoons and becoming butterflies, is used as a metaphor for the cycle of life of humans. It is a journey of dedication, of leaving value for posterity, before leaving in silence.
Notably, artist Le Huu Hieu not only uses the silkworm image as a symbol, but also directly nurtures silkworms on his works. In addition, the use of traditional materials such as jackfruit wood, silkworm silk, lacquer, yellow leaf and eggshell not only has aesthetic meaning, but also reflects cultural depth.
Closing the journey is a large lacquer painting (6.5m x 4m), where the symbols of origin - such as the image of a hundred eggs in the legend of Au Co - are recreated through eggshell material.
Art critic Vittorio Sgarbi - Former Deputy Minister of Culture of Italy - commented: "The installation "Silk" creates a fictional space, both imbued with the breath of life and with the magical colors of legends, beliefs and folk culture.
Le Huu Hieu brings a narrative perspective on the daily life of Vietnamese people in labor production as well as in religious practice, which is the root of a nation that has never retreated".
Sharing his feelings when participating in Venice Biennale 61 for the first time and displaying his only personal exhibition, artist Le Huu Hieu chose a very special word - "Sống lại" (Reviving): "It's not only the joy of reaching an important milestone, but also the liberation after nearly a decade of pursuing a seemingly distant dream. That journey was not easy, with many challenges in terms of finance, time and spiritual pressure. There were times when even the closest people questioned his choice.
Through "Silkworm", Le Huu Hieu has created an art space that is both imbued with national identity and capable of dialogue with global issues. There, Vietnamese culture is no longer a closed entity, but becomes a part of a common flow - where the past and present, tradition and contemporary coexist and interact.
Before appearing at Venice Biennale 61, Le Huu Hieu had many international impressions, from participating in the 11th Florence Biennale, appearing at Miami Art Fair Week to exhibiting at Tesa 99 Arsenale Nord (Venice) in 2021.
In 2025, he was honored as "Pioneer Artist in UNESCO Heritage Journey" - a recognition for his contributions to bringing cultural heritage into contemporary art.
