This event coincides with Hue’s celebration of the National Tourism Year and Hue Festival 2025, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Hue City Liberation Day (March 26, 1975 - March 26, 2025) and Hue being officially recognized as a centrally-governed municipality.
Attending the event were Mr. Nguyen Khoa Diem, former Politburo Member and Head of the Central Commission for Ideology and Culture; Ms. Vu Thi Minh Huong, Vice Chairwoman of the UNESCO World Committee for the Asia-Pacific Region; Mr. Franck Bolgiani, Cultural Attaché of the French Embassy, Director of the French Institute in Hanoi and Deputy Director of the French Institute in Vietnam; Mr. Nguyen Anh Minh, Director of the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum; representatives of local departments and sectors; Hue researchers; as well as a large number of local and international visitors and the general public.
For the first time, 21 precious artworks of Emperor Ham Nghi, sourced from 10 private collections, are officially on display, welcoming art lovers from across the country. This also marks the first fine art exhibition ever held at the magnificent Kien Trung Palace – Hue Imperial Citadel.
\
The artworks at the exhibition being introduced to the viewers
In the heart of the Ancient Capital, the exhibition themed “Troi, Non, Nuoc | Allusive Panorama” not only opens a gateway for the public to reconnect with the artistic legacy of an exiled emperor, but also serves as a dialogue between the past and the present—where colors and brushstrokes revive the soul of an artist within the flow of history.
Under the pen name Tu Xuan—“Son of Spring”—Emperor Ham Nghi poured into his art a deep nostalgia for his homeland and a timeless longing. Over the past 15 years, his artworks have appeared on the French art market, mainly through private collections belonging to descendants of his friends, to whom he had once gifted his artworks. It was through these channels that Vietnamese collectors began to discover and bring his artworks back home.
The painting “The Pasture (Grassland)” by Emperor Ham Nghi, part of the VILAF Collection dated around 1910
The exhibition “Troi, Non, Nuoc | Allusive Panorama” is the result of over a year of dedicated effort in tracing the passage of time - searching, verifying, assessing, and meticulously restoring the artworks according to international standards. This was led by curator Ace Le and the Lan Tinh Foundation, in collaboration with Dr. Amandine Dabat, a fifth-generation descendant of Emperor Ham Nghi, along with many leading domestic and international art institutions and partners.
Mr. Ace Le, curator and art researcher, Editor-in-Chief of Art Republik Magazine, shared: “The artworks of Emperor Ham Nghi represent a unique fusion of artistic talent and patriotism. They convey his deep longing for his homeland and subtly express resistance against the oppression he endured during his exile. Through this exhibition, we have the chance to witness the artistic language of an Emperor - one who, even in exile, found a way to revive memories and the culture of his homeland.”
The exhibition will be open to the public for two weeks, from March 25th to April 6th.