Sàn Art Laboratory residency program shuts down amid Vietnamese government scrutiny
Sàn Art, a nonprofit based in Ho Chi Minh City, has indefinitely closed its Sàn Art Laboratory residency program due to heightened government oversight. The final session, Session 8, features artists Questal Tay, Nguyen Quoc Dung, and Dara Kong, with an exhibition of their work opening on 10 May. Launched in 2012, the program provided three-month studio and living quarters for Southeast Asian artists under 40, along with a $1,000 production stipend and a concluding show. Increased scrutiny led to the cancellation of three exhibitions and a warning from the Cultural Police to cancel an artist talk because of foreign attendance. The program will not continue after the current session.
Key facts
- Sàn Art Laboratory residency program is closing indefinitely
- Program launched in 2012
- Final session is Session 8
- Session 8 artists are Questal Tay, Nguyen Quoc Dung, and Dara Kong
- Exhibition of residency works opens on 10 May
- Program offered three-month studio and living quarters for Southeast Asian artists under 40
- Artists received USD1000 production cost and a living allowance
- Closure due to increased government scrutiny and cancelled events
Entities
Artists
- Questal Tay
- Nguyen Quoc Dung
- Dara Kong
Institutions
- Sàn Art
- Sàn Art Laboratory
Locations
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam
- South East Asia
- Cambodia