Ha Dao
Vietnam
Photographer and artist
Artist in residence from 13 September to 12 December 2024
Ha Dao is a photographer and artist based in Hanoi, Vietnam. Drawn by the quiet drama in everyday life, she started out making images that take an imaginative approach to the documentary genre, often through the lens of gender and sexuality. Her current practice incorporates multimedia and explores stories of love on the margin. Her works have been showcased at Manzi Art Space (Vietnam), Xie Zilong Museum (China) and Objectifs Centre of Photography & Film (Singapore), and featured in the British Journal of Photography, Photoworks, Trans Asia Photography Journal, among others. She was granted the Seed Award by the Prince Claus Fund and the 38th Higashikawa Award in the Overseas photographer category in 2022. Ha co-runs Matca, an independent initiative dedicated to opening conversations around photography in Vietnam since 2017.
Without obvious connections between the two countries, Ha knows Switzerland through stereotypes: mountains, cheese fondue, and Rolex watches, the most expensive of which once belonged to Vietnam's last emperor Bao Dai. During the residency in Winterthur, she wishes to browse local archives for images of crime and accidents and eventually come up with a photographic response, weaving observations of cultural myths with everyday realities.
https://instagram.com/hadaowashere
In collaboration with Pro Helvetia, The Swiss Arts Council