Earth, Earthly, Human

20 October 2023
EMASI Van Phuc

Talk with Huynh Ngoc Trang

Since the dawn of time, the land we live on has played a crucial role in the survival and development of earthly flora and fauna. With time, humans began to rever and worship this earth, especially in agricultural countries like Vietnam. The God of Land (Thần Đất) gradually emerged in public spaces: fields, temples, homes, and shops, under various names and forms. The act of worshipping the God of Land became a daily ritual for the majority of Vietnamese people, ingrained in their subconscious, and yet information on the nature of this ritual is often ambiguous and conflicting.

In this talk with researcher Huynh Ngoc Trang, we explored the origins of the God of Land, delving into the changing depictions and the transformation of this figure.

This event is part of a series of public and education programs in association with Rhyming Gestures, an exhibition organized by Nguyen Art Foundation.