Page 53 - Forbes - Asia (October 2019)

PROMOTION
Aside from being a collector, Duc herself
is a painter. Earlier this year, she presented
"Cover of Future"—a watercolor on Vietnam-
ese silk that she painted to show the devas-
tating result of climate change—to world
leaders at the United Nations Day of Vesak in
Vietnam. The painting will also be exhibited
at the Florence Biennale art exhibition in Italy
in October.
Bringing Vietnam’s Art to the
World
Duc has gone beyond investing in Vietnamese
art for her own collection, and is now focused
on growing the market by attracting more
investors. “I do not want to invest alone and
succeed, I want the Vietnamese super-rich to
join in helping the local art scene to grow and
spread to the region,” she says.
In September, Duc launched the Kim Duc
Art Investment Fund in Vietnam to invest in
artworks from Vietnam and from around the
region, with plans to open the site to global
Duc's painting "Cover of Future" was on display at the UN Day of Vesak celebrations in Vietnam in May.
investors in 2021. She also started the Local Vietnam through the Kim Duc Art Investment
Art auction site, which will sell the works of Fund from next year.
talented Vietnamese and Southeast Asian
artists. By leveraging blockchain technology,
the site will help to protect artists’ works from Local Art Advisory Board
being copied. The advisory board of the Local Art auc-
She hopes to expand the investment fund's tion site started by entrepreneur and art-
focus beyond Vietnam to international markets ist Nguyen Thi Kim Duc is comprised of
and auctions and believes that, “one day our the following members:
art collections will be in the spotlight for world
art collectors.” Just as Chinese artwork has sold Nguyen Hong Hue (Peter Hong) - Chair-
for record prices in New York and Hong Kong, man of Advisory Board - Permanent Vice
Duc is confident the same can happen for Chairman / General Secretary of Vietnam
Vietnamese art. She realizes, however, it will Overseas Business Association
take more time and resources to grow the Viet-
namese market and launch Local Art globally. Nguyen The Khai - Member of Advisory
Despite the challenges, she is determined to Board - Architectural consultant - in charge
make Local Art a game changer in the art mar- of more than 100 Planning and Architec-
ket in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. ture projects with five architectural awards
Local Art plans to donate 10% of its turnover in Vietnam
to plant trees in Vietnam. Duc has also com-
mitted to giving 50% of her wealth to chari- Mike Lai - Member of Advisory Board,
table causes, and will support young artists in CEO Vietnam Global Media