The exhibition at Nina Next Space marked the opening of the seventh Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design (VFCD), organized by RMIT University Vietnam with individuals, organizations and businesses in the creative industries.
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The Vietnam Festival of Creativity & Design 2026 is underway in Ho Chi Minh City from Sept. 21 to 27. Photo courtesy of RMIT |
Reflecting this year’s “Living Festival” theme, the exhibition presents creative works as evolving processes rather than finished products. During the festival, works may be created, modified, performed or reinterpreted, allowing visitors to participate in their development.
From exhibition to festival
After six editions from 2019 to 2024, VFCD returns in 2026 as a biennial event with nearly 40 activities connecting creativity, research and community participation.
The theme explores creativity as an evolving process shaped by interactions among people, ideas, disciplines and places.
Professor Donna Cleveland, Dean of RMIT Vietnam’s School of Communication & Design, said the university aims to connect different parts of the creative ecosystem through the festival.
“As we open VFCD 2026 today, I would like to reaffirm RMIT University and the School of Communication & Design’s commitment to this journey,” she said.
“We see ourselves as a convenor that brings together practitioners, students, researchers, businesses, cultural organizations, and communities. We hope to strengthen relationships across the creative ecosystem while linking Vietnam’s creative community with regional and international networks.”
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Professor Donna Cleveland, Dean of the School of Communication & Design at RMIT Vietnam, spoke at the VFCD 2026 opening event. Photo courtesy of RMIT |
Rethinking exhibition-making
The Living Exhibition uses a double-blind peer-review process, with each submission independently assessed by multiple international reviewers.
Selected projects are grouped into four interconnected categories: Living Archives, Living Signals, Living Territories and Living Communities. The categories serve as thematic connections rather than fixed classifications, bringing together works from different creative disciplines.
Associate Professor Lim Kok Yoong, Director of VFCD 2026 and Deputy Dean for Research and Innovation at RMIT Vietnam’s School of Communication & Design, said the festival combines curation, research and experimentation.
“VFCD is neither solely an arts festival nor an institutional or commercial industry event. It occupies a distinctive space between education, research, culture, industry, and public life,” he said.
“Its curatorial and peer-review processes allow VFCD to support experimentation and emerging practices while maintaining intellectual and academic rigors and creative freedom.”
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The Living Exhibition brings together over 25 projects from more than 75 creative practitioners. Photo courtesy of RMIT |
VFCD 2026 comprises five interconnected tracks, with exhibitions, forums, laboratories, workshops, fieldwork and partner-led activities taking place across Ho Chi Minh City.
The program brings together creative practice and research, education and professional work, public participation and international exchange.