AiRViNe

Presentation by Nguyễn Tú Hằng at Res Artis Conference 2025, Sao Paulo, Brazil

At the Res Artis Conference 2025, I presented a case study addressing the challenges of cultural mobility for artists from the Global South, focusing on Vietnam’s emerging residency ecosystem and the structural inequalities that shape international exchange.

I began by introducing Hanoi Grapevine, an independent arts media platform that was established in 2007. Over the past years, the platform has developed into a significant resource for Vietnam’s contemporary art scene, archiving nearly 30,000 art events and attracting around 60,000 monthly views. Beyond documentation, Hanoi Grapevine functions as an intermediary connecting artists, cultural institutions, government bodies, and audiences across public and private sectors.

Building on this foundation, I (as the Director of Hanoi Grapevine) and artist Trần Thảo Miên established the Artist-in-Residence Vietnam Network (AiRViNe) to strengthen residency infrastructure in Vietnam and facilitate international cultural exchange. AiRViNe aims to support artists’ professional development, expand networks, and create opportunities for collaboration through artist-in-residence programs. Since 2024, the initiative has joined international networks including On the Move, Green Art Lab Alliance, and Taiwan Art Spaces Alliance, which further connect Vietnamese practitioners with global mobility platforms.

Despite the increasing number of residency initiatives in Vietnam since the 2010s, the ecosystem remains fragile and fragmented. Vietnamese artists often face significant obstacles when applying for residencies abroad, particularly in navigating visa procedures and demonstrating institutional credibility. At the same time, international artists wishing to work in Vietnam encounter their own challenges, including limited visa categories, unclear administrative processes, and occasional cultural sensitivities.

To illustrate these structural issues, I presented the case of Vietnamese artist Vũ Kim Thư, who was invited to participate in a six-week residency at Schloss Werdenberg in Switzerland in 2025. Although the residency was clearly a short-term cultural exchange, her visa process became unexpectedly complicated. After more than two weeks of waiting, she was informed that she might need a work permit, despite Swiss guidelines stating that residencies under three months should not be considered gainful employment.

At this point, AiRViNe intervened in the process, communicating with the Swiss Embassy to clarify the nature of the residency and to advocate for the artist’s case. Through this experience, I observed how mobility barriers often emerge not only from official regulations but also from interpretation, administrative caution, and the perceived credibility of the institutions supporting the artist. In comparison, other Vietnamese artists who applied through established organizations such as Pro Helvetia experienced smoother visa processes, highlighting how institutional recognition can significantly affect mobility outcomes.

Although Vũ Kim Thư eventually received her visa, it was granted only shortly before the residency began. The situation caused financial losses related to travel preparations, as well as considerable emotional stress due to the uncertainty of the process. The case revealed how fragile international mobility can be for artists from countries with limited institutional infrastructure or diplomatic support in the arts sector.

Based on this experience, I reflected on several broader structural challenges facing Vietnamese artists and practitioners from the Global South. These include the lack of national mobility funding schemes, limited cultural diplomacy frameworks, and the absence of reciprocal mobility agreements even within Southeast Asia. Emerging artists in particular are vulnerable, as they often lack institutional backing that might reassure visa authorities. In many situations, artists from the Global South are implicitly treated as potential risks rather than trusted cultural collaborators.

In response to these conditions, AiRViNe has been developing several strategies. One approach is to build institutional credibility by acting as a cultural intermediary and leveraging the long-standing archive and reputation of Hanoi Grapevine to support artists’ applications. Another strategy involves building relationships with embassies and cultural institutions through invitations, collaborations, and cultural programming, gradually establishing trust and recognition over time.

I also emphasized the importance of documenting mobility experiences through case studies. By collecting both successful and problematic cases, we can create a database that supports advocacy and encourages greater transparency in mobility procedures. Such evidence-based documentation helps identify recurring issues and can inform future policy discussions.

Finally, I suggested several broader recommendations: clearer policy distinctions between artistic research and employment, earlier consultation between host institutions and mobility advocacy organizations, and stronger shared responsibility from host organizations to support visiting artists throughout administrative processes. I also highlighted the importance of strengthening South–South cultural collaboration, so that international mobility frameworks do not rely solely on North–South exchanges.

The case of Vũ Kim Thư ultimately illustrates how fractured mobility and uneven trust continue to shape the experiences of artists from the Global South. Addressing these challenges requires collective advocacy, stronger institutional partnerships, and greater transparency in mobility systems. I concluded the presentation by calling on international networks such as Res Artis to collaborate in sharing knowledge, documenting cases, and advocating for more equitable conditions for global artistic exchange.