‘Invisible Currents’ exhibition opens up dialogue on energy at the Hanoi Festival of Creative Design 2026
The Delegation of the European Union to Viet Nam presents Invisible Currents (Mạch Sống Vô Hình), an art exhibition running from 14 to 28 November 2026 at the Heritage Building on the East Square of Hoan Kiem Lake, as part of the Hanoi Festival of Creative Design 2026.
Curated by Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, Artistic Director of Heritage Art Space, the exhibition brings together seven artists: Bách Vũ, Ngô Đình Bảo Châu, Fustic., Hiền Hoàng, Kiều Lam, Phạm Ngọc Lân and Linh San. Through installations, interactive works and a short film, the artists draw on visual art, architecture, new media and cinema to explore how energy shapes the natural world and the way we live.
Cycles of change and renewal run through the exhibition. Drawing on his background in painting, Bách Vũ uses a light installation to explore what it takes to turn visions of our energy future into reality. For Linh San, shifting shadows recall how people once marked time by the rhythms of day and night. In Phạm Ngọc Lân’s short film, journeys up and down a river and trace the passage of time as the landscape brings memories to the surface.
In a space that evokes a classroom, Ngô Đình Bảo Châu invites visitors to consider the force of the wind. Hiền Hoàng turns data on plant vibrations into sound, while Kiều Lam explores how reclaimed building materials can find a new use in a structure in public space. In Fustic.’s installation, visitors alter the light and sound through their participation, prompting reflection on how individual contributions sustain a shared system.
Speaking at the opening, EU Ambassador Julien Guerrier said, “Through light, sound and movement, the artists of Invisible Currents invite us to look again at how energy shapes our everyday lives and to reflect on our relationship with nature. These questions are also part of the energy transition. The European Union is working with Viet Nam to develop renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. The exhibition brings an artistic perspective to that conversation, giving each of us a chance to imagine what a future powered by cleaner energy could mean in our own lives.”
The Heritage Building stands in the festival’s Creative Square on the eastern side of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Once part of the Bờ Hồ Light Bulb Factory and later used as offices by the Northern Power Corporation, it bears traces of Hanoi’s electricity supply history. The site also shapes several works in the exhibition. Light falling through the windows and features of the surrounding landscape invite visitors to look afresh at the building and the changing city around it.
Invisible Currents opens on the evening of 14 November 2026 (by invitation).
Free admission from 15 to 28 November 2026.
About EU–Viet Nam cooperation on energy
Over the years, cooperation between the EU and Viet Nam on energy has helped expand access to electricity in rural areas and supported Viet Nam’s transition to cleaner energy sources as the country works towards net-zero emissions by 2050.
The Sustainable Energy Transition Programme supports Viet Nam in improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy. The EU also helps create conditions for investment through its Global Gateway strategy and international cooperation under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).
In March 2026, the EU announced loan agreements from European development banks totalling EUR 230 million for the Bác Ái Pumped Storage Hydropower Project in Khánh Hoà under the JETP. The project, which is being implemented by Viet Nam Electricity (EVN), is the first in Viet Nam to use pumped storage hydropower technology and has a design capacity of 1,200 MW.
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