UEH's efforts towards building an inspiring artistic community with sustainable values

19 Jan, 2025

Recognizing the vital role of art, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) has set the vision of “Connecting the community to lead sustainable change and inspire art” as a cornerstone in its interdisciplinary and sustainability strategy. Over the past year, UEH has organized a series of creative art events, spreading sustainable values while also creating an inspiring learning environment. The university is not only training economic experts but also nurturing a generation with a beautiful soul, aiming for truth, goodness, and beauty, contributing to the building of a sustainable society.

ArtTech Fusion 2024: Inspiring Art Technology

The international event series for the creative art-tech community – ArtTech Fusion 2024 (ATF24) - with the theme “New ArtTech for Future Generations,” was held with 37 academic and practical activities. The program spread deep inspiration for art technology, attracting around 50 professors from 15 universities worldwide, 20 experts, designers, and managers from businesses, and more than 4,500 participants in the series of activities.

The latest technologies are as follows: NFTs, artificial intelligence, AR/VR, visual programming languages, real-time interaction and more merged with art to create value for a sustainable future. ATF24 took visitors into a vibrant world of diverse cultural spaces through 08 exhibitions.

The exhibition space "UEH & Saigon Culture" featured artistic stories depicting glimpses of the beauty of Saigon through images of familiar foods, small coffee shops, and street corners and so on seen through augmented reality (AR) technology and animation. The entire exhibition featured works from the Human-Machine Interaction course by students from the School of Media Design (SMD). In addition to AR technology, VR artworks were displayed, showcasing creative color and youthful energy, breathing new life into each piece.

Students experiencing the "UEH & Saigon Culture" exhibition space

Students experiencing VR paintings with the theme “Spirit of Spring.”

Additionally, the collection "Dream weaving for thousands years" harmoniously combined traditional art with modern technologies listed as Projectors and Leap Motion to provide an immersive visual and interactive experience, reminding viewers of the important role of historical sites in cultural and commercial exchanges.

In the colorful visual art space, the "OTO Sonics" exhibition, with its multi-dimensional dome sound system, created an immersive, lifelike sound experience using advanced technologies from a team of leading professors and sound engineers from Austria. The artwork took viewers on a mystical journey with the sounds of wind, ocean waves, and fire blending together, creating a symphony that harmonized human existence with nature.

Sound experience at the "OTO Sonics" exhibition

NFT Artworks

The virtual character Lexy, an AI chatbot with the ability to interact naturally and diversely, could answer any questions the participants had at ATF24. The AI virtual character not only served as a search tool but also initiated interesting dialogues, raising deep questions about the boundaries between human creativity and artificial intelligence.

Not only celebrating Vietnamese culture, ATF24 also gathered art pieces from students of international universities. Each collection told a local cultural story from countries like Thailand, Macao, China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Vietnam, opening opportunities for exchanges and learning and helping the audience better understand the diversity and beauty of the world.

A highlight of ATF24 was the Tangible Performance, an art performance that conveyed the story of the Earth and transmitted a message about the role of the younger generation in protecting the green planet. The performance harmonized piano, classical ballet, tangible music technology, react-flute, and modern dance. Especially, the fashion show with 3D effects, created by UEH lecturers and students, confirmed the fusion of technology and art, offering creative and transcendent perspectives.

ArtTech Fusion 2024 was not only a platform for the convergence of art and technology but also a foundation for spreading sustainable values through creative activities and promoting connections between individuals, organizations, and communities. This was an opportunity for artists, creators, and scientists from all over the world to share and to spread the message of sustainable development through art and technology products.

Art Exhibition Series: Connecting the Past – Present – Future

Over the past year, UEH has organized a series of art exhibitions that are full of creativity and sustainability.

The "TET ART - Next Gen Art: Sustainability through Art-Tech" sculpture exhibition was a project displaying sculptures and paintings from the Fine Arts Museum, along with sand art paintings created by the Institute of Intelligent & Interactive Technologies and the School of Media Design. The exhibition also included works and projects by students from CTD-UEH. The exhibition theme explored the elements of Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire, which constitute the new spring sky, the universe, and life on this planet. In this, the element "Mind" is key, determining all beings' existence and sustainable development. The exhibition served as a reminder for humans to live in harmony within the solid foundation of sustainability.

UEH Staff visiting the “TET ART - Next Gen Art: Sustainability through Art-Tech” Sculpture Exhibition

The "Spring Art" exhibition displayed products from SMD students in Fundamental Design. This event allowed students to look back on their academic achievements while conveying that art is not reserved only for those with talent or experience but opens up opportunities for everyone willing to explore and to tap into their creative potential.

The "The Light and Instinct of Arts" exhibition featured the sand art painting "Artistic Sand Table" created by the Institute of Intelligent & Interactive Technologies (3I) and the School of Media Design (SMD) at the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum. The exhibition was special not only for its paintings and the layout of the art space but also for its modernity and forward-thinking approach, where technology was integrated into traditional works, offering the audience new perspectives.

The "Artworks of Female Artists in the Collection of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum" exhibition presented 30 art reproductions of modern artworks by Vietnamese female artists at UEH's B Campus. Each artwork told a unique story, demonstrating Vietnamese women's talent, creativity, and artistic spirit. The exhibition also helped raise awareness of women's significant role in developing the nation’s fine arts and deepened students' understanding of the importance of preserving national cultural heritage.

Opening Ceremony of the "Artworks of Female Artists in the Collection of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Museum" Exhibition

Honoring and Preserving Cultural Heritage through Art

UEH is dedicated to preserving and promoting the value of Vietnam's cultural heritage through meaningful activities like the Ao Dai cultural heritage exhibition and the seminar “Honoring and Preserving Cultural Heritage on Digital Platforms.” The event featured various activities, including learning about the history of Ao Dai through the museum’s collection, exploring Vietnam's cultural heritage through the photo collection “Heritage Around Us” by record holder Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, and especially the seminar "Honoring and Preserving Cultural Heritage on Digital Platforms." These activities aim to spread and honor the cultural heritage of Ao Dai and traditional Vietnamese values to the community, especially the youth regarding the future heritage inheritors. The event raised awareness in the community about the value of heritage. It highlighted the potential of digital platforms in preserving and sharing traditional cultural beauty in a sustainable and modern way.

Áo Dài cultural heritage exhibition

Classical Music Concert Program, Inspiring a Sustainable Future

The International Symphony Concert, co-organized by UEH and the New York Classical Music Society (NYCMS) under the theme "Dream Concert Vietnam 2024," was held for the first time in three cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Duc, and Nha Trang, marking a significant milestone in UEH's mission to spread artistic inspiration and lead sustainable change.

The program offered a classical music experience with famous works from composers like Beethoven and Bach and iconic melodies like BWV.1043 - "Jazz Swing For Two Violins" (Composed by J.S. Bach; performed by Takao Furihata and Jiyeon Ryu) and "Silent Night" (Performed by Sung Jin Kim, Seung Sei Kim, Seongsik Kim), among others. In addition, the musicians performed Christmas symphonic pieces, bringing peaceful melodies of the year's end to UEHers and the community.

International Symphony Concert Program - Dream Concert 2024

Art means to Explore Oneself and to Ignite Positive Values

Over the past year, the "Relaxation acrylic painting workshop" was held for the first time at UEH, Ho Chi Minh City Campus, and Vinh Long Branch. This unique art space, where sound, light, and brushes merge, creates an inspiring artistic atmosphere. Under the guidance of dedicated instructors, participants were equipped with acrylic painting techniques while being encouraged to freely explore their own creative ideas.

“Relaxation acrylic painting workshop” series

Sharing at the workshop, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Phan Thi Bich Nguyet, Chairwoman of the UEH Strategy and Policy Advisory Council, emphasized: “University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City always strives to create the most favorable conditions for everyone to tap into their own potential, to realize that we have many energies, capabilities, and more unique qualities. Therefore, today, we are here to lay the first, smallest stone, officially launching a series of art workshops, starting with the Acrylic Painting Workshop so that everyone can freely explore himself/herself and inspire better things for the future.”

With the spirit of innovation, creativity, and social responsibility, UEH has been and continues to be at the forefront of building a community where art serves as a source of inspiration to collectively act for enduring and sustainable values. As the new spring arrives, full of creativity and connection, UEH will continue to craft meaningful artistic stories, spreading the spirit of sustainability to both domestic and international communities.

News and photos: School of Media Design