Four International Artists Bring Dance, Digital Art and Sound to Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026

Fouad Boussouf, Adrien M & Claire B, Patrick Kessler and KAORIalive are among the international artists confirmed to participate in the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026. Spanning contemporary dance, augmented reality and sound art, their projects demonstrate that this year’s international collaborations extend beyond presenting existing works to engaging with urban spaces and co-creating new artistic experiences alongside Vietnamese artists.

Among the nearly 100 international artists and overseas Vietnamese from 21 countries participating in the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026, several prominent names and specific projects have now been announced.

They include French-Moroccan choreographer Fouad Boussouf, French digital arts company Adrien M & Claire B, Swiss sound artist Patrick Kessler and Japanese choreographer KAORIalive.

Each brings a distinct artistic approach to Hanoi, but they share a common interest in connecting contemporary artistic practice with local culture, architecture and communities.

Fouad Boussouf: Where Hip-Hop Meets Moroccan Heritage

Fouad Boussouf is a French-Moroccan choreographer, dancer and teacher who currently serves as Director of Le Phare – Centre chorégraphique national du Havre Normandie.

With roots in hip-hop, he has developed a distinctive choreographic language that brings together street dance, contemporary dance, jazz and North African traditions.

In Hanoi, Boussouf will present “NÄSS” (The People) on the evening of 21 November at the Youth Theatre.

Created for seven dancers, the production combines the energy of hip-hop with Moroccan music and cultural heritage. First created in 2018, “NÄSS” is among the works that have helped establish Boussouf’s reputation on the international stage.

Bringing the production to Hanoi offers a perspective on heritage that goes beyond the reproduction of tradition. Cultural elements inherited from the past are preserved while continuing to evolve through a new language of performance.

Adrien M & Claire B: Augmented Reality Comes to Dong Xuan Market

Adrien M & Claire B is a French digital arts company known for projects that bring technology into direct dialogue with bodily movement, visual imagery and physical space.

At this year’s Festival, the company will present “FAUNE – A Wonderful World of Animals”, developed in collaboration with graphic design collective Brest Brest Brest.

From 13 to 28 November, large-format posters will be displayed throughout Dong Xuan Market. By pointing their smartphone cameras at the images through the FAUNE application, visitors will see virtual creatures appear and come to life through augmented reality technology.

What makes the project particularly interesting is that the technology is not confined to a conventional exhibition gallery.

Instead, Dong Xuan Market — a historic commercial space that remains active in everyday urban life — becomes the setting for the artwork. As visitors move through the market, they can discover a digital layer existing alongside the physical environment.

The project therefore offers a new way of experiencing a familiar urban setting: static images are brought into motion, while the city’s architecture becomes an integral part of the artistic work.

Patrick Kessler: Transforming Hang Dau Water Tower into a Listening Space

Swiss artist Patrick Kessler works across sound art, performance and installation. He is also a double bassist and the artistic director of Chuchchepati Orchestra.

In Hanoi, Kessler will participate in “Thap An Ca – Tower of Hidden Songs”, an artistic project at Hang Dau Water Tower.

According to the artist’s published schedule, the installation will run from 14 to 26 November and incorporate insect field recordings by sound artist Ludwig Berger.

The distinctive architecture of Hang Dau Water Tower becomes part of the listening experience, transforming a historic structure primarily appreciated through sight into a space that audiences can explore and experience through sound.

Kessler will also take part in “Choi Cho – Play the Market” on 15 November at Dong Xuan Market, alongside Vietnamese and international artists.

The performance line-up includes artists Kim Ngoc, Vietnamese dan bau (monochord) musician Ngo Tra My, Nguyen Thuy Linh and percussionist Julian Sartorius, bringing together diverse approaches to sound practice and field recording.

This provides a clear example of the co-creation model that the Festival seeks to promote. Rather than simply performing a work brought to Hanoi, an international artist becomes part of a collaborative artistic project involving Vietnamese practitioners directly.

KAORIalive: Vietnamese and Japanese Dancers Co-create a New Work

KAORIalive is a Japanese choreographer whose artistic background began with hip-hop before expanding into jazz, ballet, modern and contemporary dance.

In 2014, she won the top prize at Legend Tokyo Chapter 4, a major choreography competition in Japan. KAORIalive currently leads K fam and Studio Dance Alive, while working across stage productions, musicals and professional dance training.

A distinctive feature of her project in Hanoi is that the collaboration began several months before the Festival.

The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam previously organised auditions to select Vietnamese dancers who would rehearse, develop and perform a new work alongside KAORIalive and K fam.

Under Plan No. 408/KH-UBND, the Vietnam–Japan dance collaboration programme is scheduled for 14 November at the Youth Theatre, featuring KAORIalive, K fam and Vietnamese dancers.

In this case, the international dimension is not simply a matter of bringing a Japanese dance company to perform in Hanoi. The work itself emerges from a shared process of auditions, rehearsals and artistic creation involving dancers from both countries.

Four Approaches to International Creative Collaboration

These four examples illustrate the different levels at which international cooperation is taking shape during this year’s Hanoi Creative Design Festival.

Fouad Boussouf brings an established contemporary dance production that has already gained recognition on international stages.

Adrien M & Claire B introduces augmented reality into the living environment of Dong Xuan Market.

Patrick Kessler develops sonic dialogues with architecture and Vietnamese artists.

KAORIalive works with Vietnamese dancers through a collaborative creative process that begins well before the final stage performance.

What connects these approaches is that Hanoi serves as more than merely the host city.

Dong Xuan Market, Hang Dau Water Tower, the Youth Theatre and Vietnam’s artistic community all become active elements in shaping the artistic experiences.

This also adds an important new dimension to earlier announcements concerning the participation of nearly 100 international artists in the Festival. Beyond the number of participants and the countries they represent, it is now becoming clearer what these artists will actually do in Hanoi and how they will collaborate with the city.

Sources

• Voice of Vietnam (VOV), “Dong Xuan Market and 12 Historic Communal Houses to Become Creative Design Destinations in Hanoi”, 6 November 2026.
• Hanoi People’s Committee, Plan No. 408/KH-UBND on the Implementation of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2026.
• French Institute in Vietnam; Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam; official artist profiles and published event schedules.
• Hanoi Creative City: https://hanoicreativecity.com/bon-nghe-si-quoc-te-mang-mua-nghe-thuat-so-va-am-thanh-toi-le-hoi-thiet-ke-sang-tao-ha-noi-2026/