When Art Awakens the Memory of a Land
Returning to Da Lat, artists have turned their visual impressions into a pictorial journey exploring the indigenous culture of the Lang Biang Highlands.
According to Nguyen Cao Cuong, representative of Memories + 84 Gallery (17 Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street, Lam Vien–Da Lat Ward), which supports the artist residency program, painting is seen not only as an art form of color and composition, but also as a medium for reviving and conveying local cultural values through creative practice.
The exhibition “Hornbill's Dream”, featuring 43 works by five artists, reflects this approach. Beyond capturing visual impressions, painting is seen as a way to reach deeper layers of collective memory.
Driven by a desire to rediscover fading values and reconnect them with contemporary life, artists Tran The Vinh, Nguyen An, Truong The Linh, Tran Kien Quoc and Nguyen Dang Chan took part in the residency program in Da Lat. Through field experiences, they translated reality into an artistic narrative about the land, its people and its cultural heritage.
A central image in this narrative is the hornbill (sem kring), a symbol of the forest, depicted in Nguyen An’s work “Hornbill's Dream”. According to artisan K’Mo, the bird has not been seen in the Lang Biang area since 1986, possibly due to environmental changes or natural migration.
Artisan Dagout Brice Liem noted that for the K’ho people, the hornbill once served as a seasonal marker. Its presence in the sky signaled the end of cold weather and the return of warmth, bringing hope for a bountiful season.
Its disappearance today evokes not only a sense of loss but also a reminder of the need to preserve cultural values. In art, the hornbill re-emerges as a symbol of renewal, guiding viewers into a deeper exploration of Central Highlands culture—where history and collective memory continue to resonate in contemporary life.