Tran Thi Thu Dong, vice director of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition said initially, the event was planned to ban people under 18 years old. However, the ban had faced the public opposition, saying that it was unnecessary. 

The nude exhibition will be held in Hanoi on July 23-30

Photographer Dung Art said that the event would have confused debates around pornography and art when labelled for those over 18 only. It is an art exhibition, so it should be open to every people so that young people can understand the art value from the photos.

Photographer Nguyen A said that the exhibition aimed to honour the art beauty which has been appraised carefully by management agencies, so it is reasonable for people under 18 to attend. He added that the event would open more opportunities for photographers, showing that the authorities were expressing more interest in areas which are considered as sensitive.

According to Photographer Thai Phien, teachers in many foreign countries often take primary and secondary pupils to see all kinds of art, including nude art.

The exhibition to be held on July 23-30 at the 29 Hang Bai Art Gallery will feature more than 50 carefully selected works of 10 contemporary fine art photographers, including Duong Quoc Dinh, Dao Duc Hieu, Do Thi Mai, Tran Nhan Quyen.

The first exhibition of nude pics in the country was held in Ho Chi Minh City last September, with a display of more than 50 works by photographer Hao Nhien.