The recent history of Vietnam is inevitably linked to the US military intervention in the region. RAINWORLD ARCHIVE explores Vietnamese photography before the troops had landed.

 

From our collections we are proud to present a group of photographs by Vietnamese professional and amateur photographers from c. 1959 to the early 1960s.

Most images are centered around the human figure in daily life:  within family boundaries, at work, and during religious ceremonies; even more abstract visual messages (e.g. “the elder and the young“) emphasize the human as being embedded into a wider concept as expressed in the cycle of life. Although the “human drama“ is touched upon it is never exploited.

All photographs presented here are hand-pulled gelatin silver prints proving the high sophistication and extraordinary dark room skills of their authors despite limited access to proper photographical equipment. “Decisive moment“ and “live photography“ turn into fine art intended for photo salons yet keeping its distinctive touch of laid-back serenity within the frame of Vietnamese cultural values. At the crossroads of Eastern and Western esthetics – but free from propaganda – the photographs seem to anticipate how the future will be like: smiles are scarce and dark hues are overshadowing familiar scenes. Thus these images are strongly opposing the stereotypes known from the genre of the “Vietnam movie“ and the huge image production by Western war photographers that went around the globe.

 

50 large unique vintages from that era (including a few examples from early Vietnamese photography) are on display. Individuals and small groups are welcome by previous appointment (pls call  0676-544 57 55 or:  +43-1 59 69 817).