LITTLE HANOI, NEXT GENERATION
Press Release (October 31. 2025)
A new generation, a new gaze: Vietnamese-Czech experience through photography
A powerful new photographic project is entering the Vietnamese and Czech cultural scene. The exhibition Little Hanoi, Next Generation opens on November 2, 2025, in Hanoi, presenting around sixty stylized portraits of young people of Vietnamese origin who were raised in the Czech Republic, accompanied by landscapes of iconic and historically significant sites in Northern Vietnam, where many Czech Vietnamese families originate.
These portraits reflect the lives of individuals growing up between two cultures rooted in Czech society, yet deeply connected to Vietnamese heritage. The project is authored by photographers Štěpánka Stein, Vendy Mlejnská, and editor Thuy Duong Nguyen Trinh.
Organized by the Czech Centers and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hanoi, the exhibition will debut in Vietnam as part of the prestigious Biennale Hanoi Photo ‘25 and will continue to the Czech Republic in the following year.
The project is held under the auspices and with the support of the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Prague, with generous support from its main partner, Sev.en Global Investments.
What they say about the exhibition:
H. E. Hynek Kmoníček, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Vietnam
“The second generation always has it harder than the first. They didn’t choose their life. They were born into it, and now they have to deal with it. And how well they manage - you’ll see at this exhibition.”
Štěpánka Stein & Vendy Mlejnská, Authors of the project, photographers
“Photography is, for me, a way to capture what words often cannot - the (extra)ordinary people, the spirit of the times. It is a bridge that connects generations, cultures, and memories.
The project Little Hanoi, Next Generation was born from a deep need to understand and preserve what seems invisible. I believe that, over time, it will gain even greater meaning. It will become a memory that speaks gently, yet clearly. And perhaps even a bridge toward understanding.”
Veronika Diamantová, vedoucí komunikace, Sev.en Global Investments
“We are proud to support Little Hanoi - Next generation exhibition, that goes beyond the
borders of art. It is a celebration of mutual respect, enduring partnership and cultural ties between our two countries.”
Little Hanoi, Next Generation builds on a photographic series started in 2008 by Štěpánka Stein and Salim Issa, which was the first to explore the topic of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic through an artistic lens. At that time, it was a subject barely touched in sociological research, and even less so in art.
Seventeen years later, a new generation has come of age. Confident, culturally intertwined, and navigating the space between identity and belonging. From childhood through
adolescence to adulthood, the need to belong, to be accepted, and to find one’s place in the world remains universal. At the same time, this generation is forging its own path. One that future generations will continue to follow.
EXHIBITION & VERNISSAGE
The exhibition will premiere in Hanoi on November 2, 2025, as part of the Biennale Hanoi Photo ‘25. After its presentation in Hanoi, it will be displayed in Ho Chi Minh City in 2026 before traveling to Prague, where it will open in June 2026.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Title: Little Hanoi, Next Generation
Curatorial Concept & Production: Štěpánka Stein, Vendy Mlejnská
Venues: Vincom Center for Contemporary Art (VCCA), B1-R3 Floor, Royal City, 72A Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi, opening hours 10 am - 9 pm, 7 days a week
Dates: November 3, 2025 – November 21, 2025
Press Conference: October 31, 2025 at 3 pm
Official Opening: November 2, 2025 at 4 pm
Photographers & Authors: Štěpánka Stein, Vendy Mlejnská, Thuy Duong Nguyen Trinh Organizers & Production: Czech Centers, The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hanoi Main Partners: Sev.en Global Investments
Partners: Elmich, PPF
Supported by: Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, Viet Up, Viet Cast CZ
CONTACT FOR MEDIA
Trang Nguyen
Phone: 0977457929
E-mail: e-mail
.