Living Exhibition opens Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design 2026
The Living Exhibition opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Sept. 21, featuring more than 25 projects by over 75 artists, photographers and designers from Vietnam and more than 20 other countries.
Nina Next Space hosted the commencement of the seventh Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design (VFCD) on Friday. Organized by RMIT University Vietnam in collaboration with various individuals, organizations, and businesses in the creative industries, the festival accentuates the year's "Living Festival" theme. Works presented during the event are portrayed as dynamic processes instead of static creations, inviting visitors to engage in their progression.
VFCD, returning for its sixth edition since 2019, is set to become a biennial event in 2026. The festival boasts nearly 40 activities that link creativity, research, and community involvement. Professor Donna Cleveland, Dean of RMIT Vietnam's School of Communication & Design, reaffirmed the university's dedication to nurturing the creative ecosystem.
She emphasizes RMIT University and the School of Communication & Design's role as a convenor, fostering connections among practitioners, students, researchers, businesses, cultural organizations, and communities.
The Living Exhibition follows a double-blind peer-review process, where each submission undergoes independent evaluation by multiple international reviewers. The selected projects are organized into four thematic categories: Living Archives, Living Signals, Living Territories, and Living Communities. These categories serve as unifying themes rather than rigid classifications, bringing together works from various creative disciplines.
Associate Professor Lim Kok Yoong, VFCD 2026's Director and Deputy Dean for Research and Innovation at RMIT Vietnam's School of Communication & Design, describes the festival as a unique blend of curation, research, and experimentation. Unlike a pure arts festival or an industry-centric event, VFCD occupies an intermediate space between education, research, culture, industry, and public life.
The festival's curatorial and peer-review processes support experimentation while maintaining intellectual rigor and creative freedom.
VFCD 2026 is divided into five interconnected tracks, featuring exhibitions, forums, laboratories, workshops, fieldwork, and partner-led activities taking place throughout Ho Chi Minh City. The program unites creative practice and research, education and professional work, public participation, and international exchange, creating a rich and diverse experience for attendees.
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