With their skillful hands, sixteen Vietnamese and foreign artists have turned a landfill in Hanoi to a contemporary art space, featuring sixteen story-telling art installations about Thang Long – Ke Cho, a former busy marketplace in the capital.

Located in an area which is mostly frequented by homeless people and scrap-iron dealers near the Red River bank, the street in Hoan Kiem district’s Phuc Tan ward has a lot of trashes. It seems to be an obsession of many locals.

Sprang from a public-art project, the street has been cleaned and worn a new dress with an interesting contemporary art space. Based on the old 500m-wall which was built 20 years ago to protect people from encroaching on the river bank, the art installations were created from recycled materials, including see-through plastics and glasses, barrels, wheel rims, exhaust pipes, and the rubbish from the street.

The artists hope the project attracts the community and brings cultural, environmental, and tourism benefits to local residents as well as enhances locals’ awareness of environment protection.

By Cong Dat