Epilogue by Trinh Cong Son on the Grand Opening of Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1995

Epilogue by Trinh Cong Son on the Grand Opening of Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1995


Trinh Cong Son

Whether small or not, this art gallery is a monument in the city; its appearance will be remembered for ever.
Returning to the old city…, to this art gallery, one feels that as he or she is coming back to see a sweetheart, who one will miss and love and never forget for a moment.


Boi Tran Garden (formerly Boi Tran Art Gallery or Boi Tran Gallery), one of the pioneering privately owned art galleries in Vietnam and the very first and only one in the onetime Imperial city of Hue is proud to be an exquisite international compound for art, antiques, later the Hue-era culinary culture which gave Hue its reputation as a food capital, continues today and traditional architecture blended with French Indochina influences.

In 1995, Boi Tran Garden officially held a grand opening and the very first art exhibition of Vietnamese contemporary artists, inclusive of Nguyen Trung, Hoang Dang Nhuan, Trinh Cong Son, Tran Van Thao, Do Hoang Tuong, Nguyen Tan Cuong, Hong Viet Dung, Do Quang Em, Dang Xuan Hoa, Ho Huu Thu, Truong Be, Vinh Phoi, Buu Chi, Dinh Cuong, Tran Luu Hau,… in Hue. The exhibition prologue was written by Professor Buu Y, its epilogue by Trinh Cong Son and the catalogue front page designed by Buu Chi.

Boi Tran Art Gallery Catalogue Front Page by Buu Chi
Artworks displayed at Boi Tran Art Gallery

Epilogue

Hậu ngõ

In this city there comes forth an art gallery that bears the heart and the yearning for beauty. This has created an indication of a luxurious gesture to the beloved people and made better an ambience within the structures, greenness of the grass and of the old citadel.

Trong một thành phố có một Gallery như trong tâm hồn có một hình bóng đẹp. Cái điệu chơi sang trọng này làm sang thêm con người xứ sở và càng làm quý phải hơn cái giấc ngủ cổ kính của những cột kèo, cấy cỏ, đồ vật một kinh thành xưa.

Epilogue written by Trinh Cong Son on the special occasion of Boi Tran Art Gallery Grand Opening at Saigon Morin Hotel in 1995

Right here, at the Boi Tran Art Gallery, not with sudden sadness, but with delightful emotion, with thankful laughs in the sun for the as a dreamful dream as we have expected in time.

Ở đây, nơi Gallery Bội Trân, đừng vội mũi lòng vì vẻ đẹp của những tâm hồn mà hãy hân hoan cất lên tiếng cười hàm ơn về chút nắng đã biết hội ngộ kịp thời với những giấc mơ tưởng như đã cũ.

Right here, in the sun along with mythological dreams, there seems to be a solid vanity, life and death, so the pain in sorrow would be subsided.

Ở đây có hình bóng của thanh niên bạch nhật và đồng thời cũng có hình dáng của những giấc mộng hoang đường. Có cõi sống và cõi chết. Có phù du và thực tại bền vững. Có sức khoẻ cùng nỗi ngậm ngùi của cơn đau.

Upon walking along a corridor and visualizing the silky world over the whole world, we would be living together, sharing and gazing at this unforgettable scene. So doubtful that we can’t help wondering the world we are now living in.

Chúng ta đi qua một hành lang và nhìn thấy trên những vách tường nõn nà một thế giới. Chúng ta cùng sống, cùng chia sẻ, cùng nhìn ngắm để lãng quên hoặc nhớ lại. Nhớ lại một thế giới ta đã sống cùng và lãng quên chính lòng ta đang nhiều ngờ vực quá.

Whether small or not, this art gallery is a monument in the city; its appearance will be remembered for ever.

Returning to the old city…, to this art gallery, one feels that as he or she is coming back to see a sweetheart, who one will miss and love and never forget for a moment.

Một Gallery, dù nhỏ, cũng là một tượng đài trong thành phố. Được dựng lên rồi, hãy để nó đứng nghìn năm.

Về thăm lại một thành phố cổ, đến với Gallery như đến với một người tình. Lại là một người tình không bao giờ phụ bạc. Không yêu nó thì yêu ai bây giờ.

Trịnh Công Sơn

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