Matca
Photographers collaborating towards a particular vision can often have mixed results. Working collectively in a medium which is often so focused on individual discussions and expressions can lead to tension in genre, cause and future intentions.
This however is far from inevitable, for when such collective efforts work, when the drive is greater than oneself and the ideas which brought the makers together are embedded in the wider needs of a generation of photographers, then great things start to happen. Were there ever needed an example of this then Matca, nestled in the streets of Vietnam’s northern capital Hanoi, is one. Driven not by the individual success of their members, but by the wider understanding of the significance of Vietnamese photography past and present,
Matca ("Fish Eye" in Vietnamese) strives to form a backbone of photography in Vietnam. A place of reflection and artistic development, Matca shows what the collective drive of photographers can and should do. Matca’s founding members rightly point out they are not a collective or agency and have found them taking on a variety of new roles aside their photography, from writing, curating, graphic design, even barista skills specialising in cold brew ! We speak with Ha Dao about what has been, what has become and what the future is of photography is - and can be - in Vietnam.
For the uninitiated - can you give us a sense of Matca and who is involved?
Matca is an independent initiative dedicated to photography as a form of visual art. Founded in 2016, Matca has evolved across many platforms, including but not limited to an online journal, a physical space and a publishing project.
Linh Pham co-founded Matca in 2016 as an attempt to nurture the local photography community, together with two photographer friends Mai Nguyen Anh and Dat Vu. Ha Dao joins the team in 2017 as a managing editor and later program coordinator.
Matca Space for Photography is located on the third floor of the creative complex at 48 Ngoc Ha, Hanoi. This artist-run space is where we organize exhibitions, host discussions and introduce photobooks, among other things. Opened since April 2019, the space reflects our vision to broaden public understanding of photography and give emerging photographers the opportunity to showcase their works in an environment where resources remain scarce. We are not solely motivated by picture-perfect exhibitions, but the process of working and growing together.
You have expressed a real drive to develop a sense of community in photography in Vietnam, why do you feel that’s important now?
A lot of information online regarding photography is Western-centric, while local insights are often shared in casual conversations over coffee. It's hard for an emerging photographer to break into that clique and learn from those around them. There's also a certain division among people who pursue different genres of photography, say social documentary versus fashion. Professional opportunities remain rather limited: you're either a photojournalist or a commercial photographer. Online groups and forums do exist and they are a popular platform for hobbyists to share their photos and discuss with their peers, but the content is centered around gear and conventionally beautiful photos.
So Matca starts out as an online journal, to create a platform that views photography not in terms of clear-cut genres but simply a visual practice. We feature projects of all kinds, document ongoing movements in the local scene, and raise critical questions regarding various aspects of photography. In short, we want to expand the discussions around photography. And the result of this has been clear, as our audience includes not only photographers but a dynamic group of engaged enthusiasts, researchers and critics.
“Most North Vietnamese photographers worked for Vietnam News Agency. There's little sense of authorship, both literally and figuratively. They come from a place much different from Western concerned photographers”
Your work with books has been really compelling, can you tell us more about your involvement with We Will Have Been Young and The Incredible and also A Vietnamese Photography village ?
Linh Pham joined the Masterclass at OBSCURA 2016; the photobook and group show we will have been young were the result of that. The book was designed by German publisher dienacht.
Makét 01: A Vietnamese Photography Village is the first volume of our publishing project Makét (Vietnamese pronunciation of “maquette”, meaning a rough draft). It traces the emergence of studio photography in Vietnam from a small village called Lai Xa on the outskirts of Hanoi. Lai Xa villagers learnt the trade from one another then traveled across the country, opening over 70 studios in the first few decades of the 20th century. While the location plays such an important part in the history of Vietnamese photography, it remains largely unheard of until the Lai Xa museum of photography opened in 2017. We were particularly excited since our knowledge of photography history back then was centered around the West, and we didn't have a chance to ever see original prints from our predecessors.
The author Ha Trang started out as an editorial intern at Matca while still a university student. From her very first assignment to cover Lai Xa Photography Museum; she has pursued the subject ever since. The project took a total of 2 years of finding contacts, interviewing remaining Lai Xa practitioners and their descendants, along with digitizing photos from personal archives. We're lucky to have on our team designer Le Quoc Huy who is as passionate about graphic design as he is about archival works. We also consulted Dr. Nguyen Van Huy, an esteemed scholar and Lai Xa native who founded the museum. This little photography publication is a labor of love contributed by people from different fields.
It’s difficult to not discuss the impact the conflict in Vietnam has had both on the country and its legacies, but also on the photography from this period. Yet whilst we can list the work of Western photographers, we often miss the Vietnamese photographers from this period -- particularly north vietnamese photographers such as LE MINH TRUONG VO ANH KHANH. What do you feel has been the cause of this imbalance in representation of this period of conflict in photography, and the wider narrative associated with the conflict?
The imbalance is mostly due to practical reasons. Most North Vietnamese photographers worked for Vietnam News Agency. There's little sense of authorship, both literally and figuratively. They come from a place much different from Western concerned photographers who wanted to bear witness and show the world the horror that was going on. Many of them made a name for themselves in the Vietnam war and continued a career in photojournalism, while most Vietnamese photographers from this period either join VAPA - Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists or retire from photography completely.
Despite the lack of materials and certain creative restrictions, some photographers were able to make amazing work, which went unnoticed until Tim Page initiated the project and published
Another Vietnam, with tremendous head of photographer Lam Tan Tai, the head of VAPA back then. I personally respect their works, but it's totally understandable why their photographs did not become icons of the global anti war movement.
To continue the discuss of representation Linh Pham, whose work with Getty across the region has also looked at ideas of representation of Vietnam which stretch away from the often dominate post-conflict representation, you can also say the same of the work of Maika Elan; why is it important that this emergence of narrative is so pressing now? Or has it always been waiting to emerge? There has been remarkable work coming out of Vietnam for decades, Nick UT, Maika Elan to name a couple -- these are big names but what else has the photography industry been missing?
Photographers everywhere are covering stories that are personally close to them, but whether such stories will "go big" depends on a lot of factors. Each publication has their own agenda, and it's pretty simple to understand why certain stories are highlighted by international media while others are glossed over despite their cultural significance.
The success of Maika Elan's The Pink Choice took place within the global movement calling for diversity not only in participating photographers but also the jury of international competitions, which region and issue get the attention. So again, a lot of factors are at play.
We are seeing a lot of young vietnams photographers emerging through regional workshops from festivals such as Angkor and Obscura festival and IPA, how do these opportunities support young photographers and what more is needed?
Since education opportunities remain limited in the country and attaining an art degree abroad is out of the question for a lot of people, workshops at Angkor Photo and Obscura are necessary because they keep learning affordable and thus accessible. They offer not only education but also a community where like minded people could form, network and share insights. Some have been able to kickstart their careers thanks to the workshop and professional activities at such festivals, ourselves included.
As a matter of fact a workshop takes place during a short amount of time, so it's up to the participants to sustain their practice afterwards. Making a living from one's photography in a non-commercial way is a challenge anywhere in the world. As photographers ourselves, we are aware of the difficulties and we don't have all the answers. We're in the process of building our own platform for print sales to help create an outlet for local photographers. But public appreciation of photography and art collecting habits in Vietnam will take a long time to change.
“we are seeing more visual artists incorporating photography into their work, more young people using the camera to tell their intimate stories. We are starting to see more variety and individuality emerge and that's a really positive sign.”
I find the work coming out of Vietnam to be very exciting, contemporary reactions to social, cultural and historical influences, who are the ones to watch and how are Vietnamese photographers carving their own voice in a multitude of voices?
We feature quite a number of photographers and their projects on our website. There is a mix of established artists and those who have been doing it for years but for some reason fly under the radar. They are not professional photographers in the sense that they don't earn a living from their photography practice - most have to juggle their passion project, day job and family life. But we're continually surprised by their level of commitment without any financial reward, and feel prompted to amplify their visions.
There has been an increasing diversity in both subject matter and approach. Social documentary used to dominate the scene, but we are seeing more visual artists incorporating photography into their work, more young people using the camera to tell their intimate stories. We are starting to see more variety and individuality emerge and that's a really positive sign. All I can say for now is watch this space.
Talking about ones to watch Matca was recently noted in the BJP for the exhibition Nhung Ngay Doi Nang (Days in the Sun) by Daniel Boetker-Smith. How important is it to gain this sort of attention and does it help you drive the message of Matca further afield?
It always feels good to get recognition, especially from a prestigious publication like BJP, so shout out to Daniel Boetker-Smith for his nomination. We are happy that the project can travel far, yet we don't necessarily see international acclaim as the epitome of success. In fact, the most wonderful part about any project is getting it done . At the end of the day, we do our part, it's wonderful to have others share the same value.
