While the building boasts a diverse collection of woodcuttings, early Cham art, and modern paintings and sculptures, our real goal in visiting the Saigon Fine Arts Museum was to experience its architecture. The museum was originally the headquarters of the Hui Bon Hoa family empire, built in the early to mid 1900s. The main complex comprises three floors of well thought out rooms and verandahs to best suit the tropical climate. The rooms feature high ceilings and plenty of openings to take advantage of ventilation.
In this regard, the building is a surprising choice to be reused as an art museum due to the impossibility of climate control or reduction of sunlight. I could envision the layout with its exterior porches and interior rooms making for an ideal gallery of local artists who would sell and display works short term, but the long term effects of humidity and natural light fill me with dread for the artwork, even the disturbing, futurist paintings that I would hardly miss.
The Guggenheim and Asia Society have published information about the collection that you can read here:
https://www.guggenheim.org/blogs/map/biography-building-ho-chi-minh-city-museum-fine-arts
You can read about the Hui Bon Hoa's family and their legacy of generosity here:
https://saigoneer.com/old-saigon/old-saigon-categories/8680-the-legacy-of-hui-bon-hoa
In this regard, the building is a surprising choice to be reused as an art museum due to the impossibility of climate control or reduction of sunlight. I could envision the layout with its exterior porches and interior rooms making for an ideal gallery of local artists who would sell and display works short term, but the long term effects of humidity and natural light fill me with dread for the artwork, even the disturbing, futurist paintings that I would hardly miss.
The Guggenheim and Asia Society have published information about the collection that you can read here:
https://www.guggenheim.org/blogs/map/biography-building-ho-chi-minh-city-museum-fine-arts
You can read about the Hui Bon Hoa's family and their legacy of generosity here:
https://saigoneer.com/old-saigon/old-saigon-categories/8680-the-legacy-of-hui-bon-hoa
Comments