INtroduction
As a Vienna-based photographer, my personal work focuses on reportage and environmental portraits.
In May 2024, I visited Tam Thanh, a fishing village known for being home to Vietnam's first mural art project. My aim was to document the intersection of this art initiative and the reality of local village life.
ABOUT the project
Initiated in 2016 through a collaboration between the Quang Nam Province and the Korean Community Art Exchange, the project transformed the village into an open-air gallery to increase its appeal to visitors. Over the years, local residents and volunteers have continued to maintain the murals and add new installations, while older pieces are periodically renewed.
My Photographic Approach
I arrived as a storm was approaching. Most visitors had already left, and only a few fishermen and locals remained on the shore. There was a brief window of heavy, expectant light before the rain began. I moved through the quiet streets, trying to capture the atmosphere of the village before the weather changed.
In the alleys, I encountered a few residents, including a young man at a pull-up bar outside his house. When he noticed me taking a photo, he laughed and did a few extra repetitions for the shot. These unplanned interactions are the core of my reportage work - finding brief human connections in a setting that exists between an art project and everyday life.
OBESERVATION
Many of the murals have already begun to fade due to the intense tropical climate and salt air. This sense of transience reflects the reality of Tam Thanh—a place where tourism and traditional fishing life intersect in a state of constant change.
