albb 2010
albb 2009
albb 2008
albb 2007
albb 2006
albb 2005

about albb
talks
residency
projects/events/exhibitions
open archive & reading room
internships

Contact

Vietnam
Motoko Uda
Sue Hajdu
Galerie Quynh
Nguyen Nhu Huy
Himiko Saloon
Ryllega Gallery
Salon Natasha
Diacritic.org
Atelier Wonderful

Overseas
OLO
Pasi Karjula
forestcamp
Marko Vuokola
Sten Are Sandbeck
Minna Heikinaho
Com-pa-ny
Bank & Rau
AVPD
frame-fund
HAKOtte?
Sendai ArtCity
Philip Brophy.com
Katrin Paul.com
broadsheet
SASCA
womanifesto
trans urban
X-CHANGE culture-science
Asia Art Archive (AAA)
Arts Network Asia (ANA)
Art Autonomy Newtwork (AAN)
Cemeti Art House
the house of natural fiber
Para/Site
Juliana Yasin


a little blah blah (albb) is an artists' initiative that since 2005 has operated as a platform for contemporary art through a wide range of channels including projects, exhibitions & events, screenings, talks, a residency program, internships and an open-access archive of art books & catalogues. Our program has evolved in a pioneering spirit, in response to the gaps and needs of the Saigon art scene. Since 2008 we have re-focussed our program to presenting one major project each year, capacity building and the ongoing running of albb Reading Room.

albb reading room

a new home for albb reading room



albb’s major project this year was the re-location and re-organization of albb reading room. The reading room is now housed in a cosy and comfortable alcove in the newly-established OUT2-STUDIO, a hub of design and creativity that runs workshops, talks and a retail shop, supporting the work of young and experimental local designers and artists. Located right in the center of Ho Chi Minh City, the reading room is open for all visitors to use on a drop-in basis.

The albb reading room was first established in 2006 in response to the difficulties that many artists in Vietnam face with lack of access to resources about contemporary art. With no arts library in the city, and contemporary, post-modern and conceptual practices under-represented in university courses, albb reading room is a valuable, tangible and user-friendly resource.

Address: OUT2-STUDIO, Fafilm courtyard, 6 Thai Van Lung, District 1
Opening hours: Tues - Sat, 10AM - 6PM



albb reading room's collection

The bulk of the collection comprises catalogues by contemporary artists in Asia, although it covers all regions of the world. It also contains books, magazines, zines, guides, programs and reports covering contemporary art, photography, design, architecture, performing arts, craft and Vietnamese culture.

One unique feature of albb reading room is its extensive collection of art ephemera–invitations, fliers, posters and other printed material from all around the world—that gives artists, graphic designers and researchers a quick overview of what others have done in the past in addition to providing inspiration for invitation design, printing methods and paper stocks.

All materials in the collection are now catalogued on a database. Visitors interested in finding out more about a particular area – such as a particular medium, the work of a Vietnamese artist, recent biennales or so forth, can talk to staff who can guide them to relevant materials in the collection.

Every month or so, new materials are featured in the collection and all donations are acknowledged.


the history of albb reading room

albb reading room was initially established in 2006 and was first run as a one year-long monthly program. For details on its history, please visit the open archive and reading room section of this web blog.


call for donations

albb reading room was established through the generous donations of materials from many people and organizations in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and around the world. We would like this valuable resource to keep growing. If you would like to make a donation to the reading room, please contact us on albbsaigonatgmaildotcom


a big thank-you to all who have donated in the past

albb would like to take this opportunity to thank all the artists, other individuals, organizations and institutions who have generously contributed materials in the past.

organizations & institutions:
Asia Art Archive / alternative space pool / apw 2005 / Art Vietnam Gallery / Artist Commune / Artspace Sydney / ASEF / Asialink / Australian Consulate, HCM City / Bank Art 1929 / Ben Thanh Art & Frame / CACSA / Casula Powerhouse Arts Center / Cemeti Art Foundation / Cemeti Art House / Conical / Earl Lu Gallery / French Consulate HCM City / Fukuoka Asian Art Museum / Galerie Quynh / Gallery Moco / Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces / Goethe Institut / Goethe Institut, Hanoi / HART Center of Arts / Hong Kong Institute of Contemporary Culture / Idecaf / IMA / inIVA / Kedai Kebun / L'espace / MAAP / Nadi Gallery / Numthong Gallery / P3 Art & Environment / Para/Site / Pepinieres Europeennes pour jeunes artistes / PKW / Queensland Art Gallery / Ruang MES 56 / Ruang Rupa / Saigon City Life / San Art / Selasar Sunaryo / Singapore Art Museum / Ssamzie Space / Studio Tho / Tang Contemporary Art Bangkok / Terry Batt@RMIT Melbourne / Theatre Works / Tokyo Wonder Site / Tonson Gallery / Trans Urban / Visual Arts Magazine

artists & individuals:
Alan Cruickshank / Alex Supartono / Amanda Heng / AVPD / Bank & Rau / Bernadette Gruber / Bertrand Peret / buffer kit / command N / Ei Thien / Fabrice Lecouffe / Garreth Jones / Hedi Hariyanto / Hou Hanru / Huynh Phu Ha / Ingo Gunther / Iwakiri Mio / Jee Un Park / Kamin Lertchaiprasert / Karla Sachse / Katherine Olston / Katrin Paul / Khaled Sabsabi / Kobayashi Shigeyo / Le Thua Tien / Leang Seckon / Maritta Nurmi / Martin Schmid / Michael Lee Hong Hwe / Michael Mann / Minna Heikinaho / Mogas Station / Motoko Uda / Natee Utarit / Nguyen Duc Tu / Nguyen Duy Linh / Nguyen Nhu Huy / Nguyen Vu Thanh Hang / Nora Taylor / Nur Hanim Khairudd / OLO / Paul Zetter / Peter Johansson/Barbro Westling / Philip Faulks / Pinaree Sanpitak / Pontus Kyander / Rich Streitmatter-Tran / Riel Hilario / Ryutaro Inamoto / Sandrine Llouquet / Shift! / Sopheap Pich / Sten Are Sandbeck / Sue Hajdu / Sylvia Schwenk / Terry Batt / Thea Baumann / Tohru Nakazaki / Tomoko Mukaiyama / Varsha Nair / Veronika Radulovic / Wonderful District