Opened in March 2004 by contemporary artists Nguyễn Minh Phước and Vũ Hữu Thụy, Ryllega (its name an anagram) aims to foster local contemporary artists by offering them a space to display their work free of the procedures involved in displaying work at foreign missions or the commercial concerns that are paramount at most local galleries. Located at the rear of the Hà Nội Opera House, the 43-square-metre gallery opened with the ‘Small Fish’ installation by Nguyễn Minh Thành and (subject to funding) currently features one exhibition a month, offering emerging visual artists a range of equipment to display their work, including computers, VCD and DVD players and display screens. In order to show their work at Ryllega, artists must first submit a proposal demonstrating their position on contemporary art and putting forward their exhibition plans. If their proposal is approved they will receive not only an exhibition space, but also support in the form of invitations and a buffet for their exhibition opening.