The 81-year-old’s nominationfollows a life-long interest in documenting the people and landscapes ofHanoi through photography, a career which spanned from 1954 untilrecently, when his career was cut short due to a stroke.
Phungwas popular with street vendors, homeless people, event drug addicts andstreet gangs, and whilst his work documented important historicalmilestones, it was also famous for its powerful honesty in portrayingthe life and problems of those he encountered.
In the WorkAwards category, nominees also include a collection of some 2,000 photosof Hanoi by British veteran diplomat John Ramsden, taken during histerm between 1980 and 1983 and documenting his growing fascination withthe country.
An exhibition displaying part of this photo collection is expected to open in Hanoi by the middle of October.
Two other nominees include a Pho (Street) installation exhibitionby Nguyen Ngoc Dan and the Made in Hanoi art exhibition at the Maigallery.
While Dan uses his art installations to replicate aHanoi street from the past, Made in Hanoi displays paintings by 13young Hanoian painters who depict impressive views of the city. Theexhibition is set to become an annual exhibition to nurture andcelebrate the talents of artist from different generations.
TheJob Award category also attracted an interesting pool of nominees,among them historic documents pertaining to the sacrifice of nearly 400Hanoian soldiers at Chu Tan Kra battlefield, in the Central Highlandsprovince of Kon Tum during the US war.
Japanesearchaeologist Nishimura Masanari and five elderly men living in theancient clay-making Kim Lan Village in Hanoi ’s suburban GiaLam district are also among the nominees in the Job Awards category.
Nishimura, who died in an accident on the way to the archaeologicalsite, spent 12 years building a museum of ancient earthware in thevillage. Inaugurated in March 2012, the museum is the first example inthe country of “community archaeology”, in which local people plays acentral role in collecting items and building dossiers.
Management of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel site has also beennominated in this category, with the site currently undergoingconservation efforts sponsored by UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust.
Nominees in the Idea Awards category include the draft on the Code ofBehaviours, a digital project creating six-dimensional images of Hanoi, and an art project by Nguyen Thu Thuy creating murals of Hanoiduring the anti-France war.
This year’s judging panel willinclude Professor Phan Huy Le, chairman of the Vietnam HistoryAssociation; Ngo Ha Thai, Deputy General Director of the Vietnam NewsAgency; Ho Quang Loi, head of the Popularisation Unit of the Hanoi PartyCommittee; Bang Viet, chairman of the Hanoi Literature and ArtsAssociation; Tran Khanh Chuong, chairman of the Vietnam Fine ArtsAssociation; and architect Doan Duc Thanh.
The awards ceremony will take place on August 29 at the Vietnam News Agency headquarters, 5 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi.-VNA