These ordinary places are quán-nước-chè. For lack of a better term, they are usually translated as "tea stalls." Against a wall, behind a tree, or in the middle of a clearing, they suddenly appear like wild mushrooms, their existence brief and unpredictable. Once they emerge, they offer a stop to anyone who takes the time to sit on one of the small stools.

Fundamentally, they represent the appropriation of public space. (Indeed, the authorities have often attempted to eradicate this kind of weed). But where does the line between public and private spheres lie? When is it crossed? During an infringement, a change in perception, or a new regulation? In this city, where private interests spill over onto the sidewalks, these quán-nước are nothing less than the essence of the city's soul that the people of Hanoi inhabit – far from any idea of transgression.

The Vietnamese claim that the origins of quán-nước-chè date back to when agriculture dominated economic activities. A quán-nước from that time would have been located under a tree between two rice fields. The stall would have been made of wood or bamboo. Tea breaks would have taken place as people socialized and caught up on the latest news.

Times have changed. The streets are clogged with cars. Buildings add floors at every opportunity. Air-conditioned cafés and tea salons are proliferating. Yet, gentrification has not yet managed to wipe out the quán-nước. They continue to nestle between buildings, shopping malls, and on the margins of major streets. Plastic has inevitably replaced bamboo and wood, but the quán-nước retains its status as a meeting place, still offering the promise of a convivial moment.

A cup of tea remains a cheap and popular drink. It is served with the same hospitality to the rough hands of a worker as to the soft palms of a clerk. And a high school student with immaculate fingers would be greeted in the same way. All in the same quán. Strangers become friends. Accomplices, by the thousands. All equal on small plastic stools. While waiting for the tea, a pipe passes from hand to hand as jokes fly amidst the wisps of smoke.

The "Tra Da" series was exhibited at the French Cultural Institute in Hanoi in 2019, then at the French Institute in Hue in 2020, and at the Vincom Center for Contemporary Art in Hanoi in 2021.