In a bid to transform Phuc Tan, a rundown area in Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, a group of 16 artists volunteered their time to turn a small backroad into a public gallery. The work that they created played on the public image of the space, using recyclable waste to create their art.
Finding Phuc Tan is tricky. There are no signs telling you the direction, and instead, possible admirers of this haven of recycled art are faced with the usual Hanoi maze of alleyways.
Like a field of grass in a forest clearing, however, you suddenly break through the dark alleyways to broad view. Red River and Long Bien Bridge rush passed in the distance, with extensive green both wild and tamed before it. This is the scene of Phuc Tan art site. This is an area that the rest of Hanoi calls a rubbish tip.
By making this space into an attractive cultural site, visitors will, in theory, flock to the downtrodden area. It appears to be working too. Two girls, both who chose to identify as ‘Linh’ through fear of being outed as quarantine-dodgers, traveled here from Minh Khai.
The Linh’s explained, “We saw this place on Facebook, and everyone told us that it was great for taking pictures. We have no school due to the coronavirus, so we thought we would come and check it out.”
Without any formal maintenance in place, however, local residents fear that the recycled artwork will contribute to the rubbish that already exists in the area. An elderly couple, who both grew up on this street, expressed their fears. They too declined to be named.
“We’ve lived here for almost a decade. We started as fishermen, but we now run a small business,” they explained. “Very few people walk here every day. It needs someone to look after it, or it will be vandalised.”
The couple confessed that they were never informed of the project, “organisers just came here and built it. People don’t really care where those bottles end up,” they continued.
Nguyen The Son, curator of the Phuc Tan art project, explained that the outdoor exhibition could last for three years. This is due to the material used, like plastic and cement. He explained in an article with Forbes Vietnam, however, that the work could last up to 10 years if preserved correctly. “The people are the people who enjoy, watch and protect the works,” he explained.
Without proper training, however, locals fear that the art could become the very problem it seeks to represent. What is clear, however, is that Nguyen The Son and his team have achieved their objective. Many groups, both foreign and Vietnamese, pass by throughout the day. They marvel at the work, and once they’re done, they turn around and witness the beauty of the area. Not a tip at all, but another hidden gem in Hanoi’s back alleys.
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