When mother nature strikes, everything in her path crumbles. No one is spared from her wrath. That’s especially true for uprooted trees. When Typhoon Yagi struck Vietnam late last year, 25,000 trees were uprooted during its devastation. But amidst that wreckage comes recovery, as two artists strive to make something beautiful out of a tragic situation in Ha Noi.
Resting place of Vietnamese revolutionary leader and President Ho Chi Minh | Photo from Wikimedia user rhjpage
Going back to Ha Noi’s roots, Vietnam’s capital has lived through different dynasties starting from the year 1010 AD under the Ly Dynasty with the name Thang Lo. Through the next five dynasties (Ho, Minh, Le, Nguyen), its name changed to modern-day Ha Noi, which is believed to be a combination of two words. “Ha” meaning river and “Noi” meaning inner or inside; when you combine them, it is interpreted as “the city located within the river” since it’s located on the banks of the Red River in Northern Vietnam.
Even so, it’s had its fair share of trials after enduring the French colonization. Then the Vietnam war followed with its own set of tribulations. But Ha Noi stood strong. It has become one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia as of 2024 with a 7.09 percent growth rate, showing its resilience despite the challenges that its people have faced.
Resurrection and Echo | Photo from Tia-Thủy Nguyễn
From the wreckage of Typhoon Yagi last September 2024, artists Tia-Thủy Nguyễn and Trần Mạnh Hùng created a paired installation art called Hồi Sinh (Resurrection) and Echo. Using a mahogany tree that fell at Cổ Tân Square near the Hà Nội Opera House, these two artists made sure to create pieces that embodied Vietnam’s resilience.
Resurrection is a stainless steel and quartz sculpture that’s nine meters high and two meters wide. When the rays of the sun, the towering piece shines. Tia-Thủy Nguyễn used a crafting technique she used in her 2023 piece, Hoa Đời. Using sheets of 5 mm-thick steel, she hand-forged the grooves of the tree into the steel to imitate its likeness, while the quartz became the adorning leaves on branches that sway with the wind.
From the same tree, Trần Mạnh Hùng crafted Echo. It’s a set of benches that are arranged in a circular manner facing Resurrection to resemble the rings in tree trunks. Much like how Ha Noi is interpreted to be two words that come together to create Vietnam’s capital, Echo and Resurrection come together to create a story of resilience.
“The warm reception from the community is not just a personal success – it’s a collective achievement. The joy and wonder this work brings has left an indelible mark on my heart, and I hope it continues to spread happiness to everyone who visits,” shared Tia-Thủy Nguyễn during the inauguration ceremony of the artworks.
As Vietnamese people face their own struggles, the inspiring dual artworks stand tall to remind them of strength in the face of adversity. Check out Echo and Resurrection at Cổ Tân Square in Ha Noi, Vietnam and witness their beauty in person.