PHOnó – following the thread of Vietnamese women's heritage
From November 9. to 2026 February 5., 2025, PHOnó, a special exhibition paying tribute to the heritage of Vietnamese women, will come to life—women who have been the invisible pillars of their communities for generations.
The stories of mothers, grandmothers, and sisters unfold, women who quietly yet unwaveringly held their families together through wars, migration, and new beginnings.
The exhibition was created on the occasion of Vietnamese Women's Day and evokes the fabric of female care, survival, and remembrance.
The name "PHOnó" is a meeting of two worlds:
🍜 Phở: a symbol of Vietnamese care, home, and identity,
🧵 Fonó: in Hungarian tradition, a communal space for women where they worked together, told stories, and kept traditions alive.
The two cultures and two female traditions intertwine here: in the common language of care, community, and remembrance.
🌑 The venue: the basement of Susuka
The exhibition is housed in the underground space of Susuka—a space that in itself carries the meaning of refuge.
During the Vietnam War, thousands of families sought safety underground, in bunkers and shelters, while the moments of everyday life—births, meals, and caregiving—continued there.
Susuka's basement now gives new meaning to this symbolic space: the wounds of the past and the power of survival are intertwined in it, as part of a communal memory.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Schedule
About the exhibition
Family photos, archival footage, projected images, and sounds tell the stories of female ancestors, role models, and everyday heroines.
Each image is accompanied by a story—fragments of memories, thoughts, and feelings that together paint a picture of female heritage.
Visitors are not just spectators, but participants in a shared memory—a thread that connects the past and the present, the motherland and the new homeland.
PHOnó is the first exhibition of the Holdtér community and the beginning of a larger initiative: its goal is to help members of the Vietnamese diaspora preserve and share their family histories before they disappear forever into the mists of time.
This exhibition is not only about the past, but also about how we carry our female heritage within us—across generations, cultures, and continents.
During the exhibition period, we are also preparing various accompanying programs, which we will continuously announce on the event page.
🎟 Admission is free, but donations are welcome to help keep the stories alive.