Photo Hanoi 2025 brought together twenty-two photography exhibitions, 29 public events, and more than 170 artists from over 21 countries, drawing over 200,000 visitors to Hanoi over 30 days in November. As an Irish street photographer, it was a real honour to be part of this Biennale, showing my work in a dedicated exhibition of street photography in Hanoi.
Street Photography in Hanoi: Preparing an Irish-Focused Exhibition
I have been fortunate over the past number of years to be part of a series of rolling group exhibitions of Irish street photography that Irish embassies have presented in various countries around the world, but the invitation to have a solo show and also be part of an innovative group exhibition was truly something special.
The planning was for the exhibition was to be Irish-focused. The easiest part of this process was selection; the hardest part was killing your babies as they say – deselection. After much deliberation I arrived at 25 images. Then the sequencing of these took me ages. I printed them out and lived with them for a while in my office, but it was not until I got the nod of approval from my wife that I knew I had it ready.
Showing Ireland Abroad: Curating 25 Photographs for Photo Hanoi 2025
25 photographs: drifting towards abstraction, portraiture, or crafted scenes. The work reflects the uncertainty and vitality of Irish life in the early 21st century they wrote in the catalogue description for the exhibition. At the opening, when I had to say a few words, I said I wanted to show Ireland as a place of colour, of diversity, of vibrancy and welcome.
Watching Viewers Look: The Quiet Joy of Exhibitions
One of the things I enjoyed most about the exhibitions was seeing people looking at the photos. There is something special about seeing someone lean into an image to inspect and discover what is going on in a still frame. I have always loved photos of people looking at art. It can be wondrous the quiet these moments evoke. I photographed many of the people who visited the exhibitions and as they made their way through the photos, I watched. On occasion I introduced myself. It was humbling to see their reaction and a mutual enquiry ensued, as I wanted to learn what they liked about the images and they wanted to discover more about the scenes or the people in the photos. It is always fascinating to me how people can look at photos I am so familiar with and show me things in them I have not seen. As I always say: Photography can make you blind!
Vertical Landscapes on Hoan Kiem Lake
The other exhibition – Vertical Landscapes – was an outdoor one. Set on the walkways of Hoan Kiem Lake, the vertical light boxes brought together a display of four photographs from ten photographers. These images veered away from the traditional horizontal presentation of landscape images, by presenting landscapes through vertical framing. This choice compels viewers to adjust their gaze, focusing on the scene’s depth rather than its breadth.
I just loved seeing these lit up at night.
Street Photography Workshops Around Hoan Kiem Lake
I also offered a couple of street photography workshops in Hanoi as part of the Biennale events while I was there. It seemed like the weather was not going to be kind to us as it rained heavily early in the morning, but like so many of my workshops, it cleared in time for the photo walk. It was good fun out shooting street scenes around the lake. Just wish we had more time for it.
Why I Photograph
In the days I was in Hanoi, I shot a lot. The city is electric. Immersing myself into this and trying to make visual sense of its frenetic rhythm was great. One of the very first shots I got was the one below. A simple scene of a small boy with his mother. Now, I am long gone from being a little boy, but there is something about this image which connects with me. Photography for me is exploration, examination, and declaration. I do it mainly for myself, in fear that the richness of experience will be lost, but experience is about sharing. Travel brings all your previous-to-now into confrontation with your now-to-encounter. The joy of that; the fear of it being lost, forces me to photograph. Its real joy comes on returning home, sitting on the sofa, with my 90-year-old mother showing her the scenes I saw; the moments I shot. And much like those I met at the exhibitions who saw things I had not seen in my photographs, my mother, with her ease, shows me why I photograph what I do.
Again, I would like to thank the Irish Embassy in Vietnam for inviting and hosting me, in particular Hannah McCarthy who was brilliant to deal with. Also thank you to all at Photo Hanoi for the honour of being part of this biennale. It truly was magical.
