Old apartment buildings that were built during the 1980s and 1990s have been recreated through the exhibition with the theme of shape shifting at the French Institute in Hanoi.
The old apartment buildings are witnesses and important evidence of Vietnam's subsidy period. After serving countless residents for decades, the appearance and structure of these buildings have changed.
The exhibition showcases over 10 3D paintings by artists Nguyen The Son and Tran Hau Yen The. They recreated many buildings that still exist in Hanoi such as the apartments on Thanh Cong, Giang Vo, Thanh Nhan and Nguyen Hong streets.
Several generations of families often live in one apartment so they had to find ways to enlarge their homes to accommodate everyone. Time has left its imprint with deteriorating walls, the expanded living spaces of the residents such as the Van Chuong apartment building built in 1960.
There is also a blackboard placed outside to announce important news to the residents. Viewers can see how much the city has changed and have their collective memory triggered.
The exhibition took nearly a year of preparation. Nguyen The Son took photos of all buildings then started 3D tomography process in order to bring out all the details. The artists also provide information for the building such as when it was built and the current condition.
Nguyen The Son and Tran Hau Yen The was born and lived at the old apartments, making it an emotional project for them.
According to Son and The, in their memories, children often played with each other on the playground while residents socialised while collectively cooking. However, many of such features and habits have been lost over time and rapid urbanisation.