“Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023” (hereinafter referred as “Art Macao 2023”), the mega international cultural and artistic event of the city, will be held from July to October of this year. Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, the event is organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, co-organised by the Macao Government Tourism Office, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited, MGM, Sands China Ltd., SJM RESORTS, LIMITED, and Wynn Macau, Limited, with the participation of various consulates general of different countries in Hong Kong and Macao and a list of higher education institutions from Mainland China and Macao. “Art Macao” creates a co-production model in which Government, enterprises, artists and the public are involved in the participation to shape a new local cultural tourism brand, so as to develop Macao into a dazzling international platform for artistic exchanges and promote the development of “culture +”.
“Art Macao 2023” is divided into eight sections, namely the Main Exhibition, Public Art Exhibition, City Pavilion, Special Exhibition, Invitational Exhibition by Local Artists, Local Curatorial Project, Art Exhibition of Higher Education Institutions and Collateral Exhibition. The event features 30 art exhibitions across the city to showcase modern and contemporary masterpieces by over 200 active and representative artists from more than 20 countries and regions, allowing the public to experience the breadth and depth of art while embarking on a grand aesthetic journey, enhancing the cultural and artistic atmosphere of Macao as a famous World Heritage city.
Chief curator Qiu Zhijie to explore the collision and interaction between science and religion
“Art Macao 2023” invited once again renowned artist Qiu Zhijie, the Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, to serve as the chief curator of this year’s mega event. He proposed “The Statistics of Fortune” as the theme of this year’s event and believed that scientific research has been inseparable from religious activities since ancient times. There are a lot of mysterious elements entangled in the history of science, while they often appear in the form of empirical evidence from religious activities. Therefore, this edition of the event will put special emphasis on the artworks that explore religious traditions from a new perspective and that delve into the history of science from profound cultural perspectives.
The Main Exhibition will be held from 28 July at the exhibition halls on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors at the Macao Museum of Art, exploring the correlation between science and religion and featuring 118 pieces (sets) of contemporary artworks, including painting, engraving, photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, video and artificial intelligence art. In addition, Qiu Zhijie will host three thematic talks related to the Main Exhibition, introducing the thoughts behind the curation process and the updates on the international art scene.
Showcasing diverse public art creations to embark on new cultural tourism experiences
Six public artworks by artists from various countries will be presented successively in various cultural attractions and districts in Macao, combing art and urban space to form a new cultural and artistic landscape.
The six public artworks include: Mirror 6# by famous sculptor Fu Zhongwang from China, introducing novel and thought-provoking ideas through a conventional form of presentation; Theory of time by street artist Daku from India, an art installation based on Macao’s local culture, which inspires the public to ponder the essence of time through the overlapping light, shadow and textual images; the cactus modelling work by artist Gabriel Rico from Mexico, displaying profound cultural connotations through a playful appearance; a static sculpture The Alchemical Leap by Jonty Hurwitz from South Africa and Yifat Davidoff from Israel, adopting the principle of lens distortion to create intriguing effects; Halo by Kimchi and Chips, an art group formed by Mimi Son from South Korea and Elliot Woods from the United Kingdom, using water mist and natural light to create a dynamic halo with religious implications through apparatuses controlled by a computer programme, making it an artwork with a seamless integration of technological elements and religious symbols; and Macau Pointcloud Garden by curator Lam Sio Man from Macao and Clement Valla from the United States, recording, reproducing and creating a city garden in a digital way through 3D scanning of Macao’s old trees and plants. These artworks deconstruct the meaning of contemporary multiculturalism through traditional or peculiar forms to turn Macao into an art city full of rooms for deliberation and exploration, further enhancing the cultural tourism experience.
City Pavilion gathers boundless creativity from various cities
This edition of “Art Macao” features four City Pavilions, including the Vila Nova de Cerveira Pavilion by the Consulate General of Portugal in Macao, the Kyoto Pavilion by the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong, the Shenzhen Pavilion by the Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and the London Pavilion by the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong. The pavilions will be opened successively from 1 August, showcasing the multiculturalism and artistic creativity of the cities.
The exhibition “Vila Nova de Cerveira Pavilion: The Metaphysics of Luck and the Science of Misfortune” at the Former Municipal Cattle Stable is curated by the Biennial of Cerveira Foundation. The pavilion will feature a selection of 27 works to showcase their diverse worldviews and reflect the consonance and contradiction among religious traditions, superstition and science.
The “Kyoto Pavilion: Synergistic Rhythms” at the Tap Seac Gallery will feature a series of paintings by youth artist Yujiro Ueno which seek to explore the intrinsic power of living creatures, as well as artworks created by the famed multimedia company “1→10” using digital technology. The exhibition strives to highlight the theme of “mutual consonance and harmony”, allowing the public to experience the rich sentiments in a vivid way.
The “Shenzhen Pavilion: Ark of Destiny: Robot & Human & City” will be held at the Macao Contemporary Art Centre — Navy Yard No.1, in which artists from Mainland China including Shen Shaomin and Wang Peisheng will combine artistic creations and technology to reflect upon the relationships between technology, humanity and the city.
The “London Pavilion: Cathedrals of the Twenty-first Century” held at the Taipa Houses will showcase multimedia creations by various artists from the United Kingdom. Revolving around the city’s skyline, the exhibits explore the urban environment of London and its relationship with cultural heritage, traditions, technology, symbolism and beliefs.
This year’s “Art Macao” has specially launched the "Invitational Exhibition by Local Artists". Six local artists, namely Konstantin Bessmertny, Ung Vai Meng, Lampo Leong, Chan Hin Io, Bunny Lai Sut Weng and Eric Fok Hoi Seng, are invited to produce new creations on the theme. Furthermore,“Local Curatorial Project” calls for curatorial proposals, with a view to provide Macao artists and curators with an international exchange platform, inspire local creative force and demonstrate the trend of Macao’s artistic creation. The selected curatorial proposals will be turned into exhibitions open to the public from August to November.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau joins hands with the Education and Youth Development Bureau to hold the “Art Exhibition of Higher Education Institutions” at the Museum of Art of University of Macau, in order to facilitate artistic exchange in academia. A total of eight higher education institutions from Mainland China and Macao were invited to join this exhibition, including the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China Academy of Art, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, University of Macau, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Polytechnic University and University of Saint Joseph. In addition, in order to promote the development of the local art sector and community arts, the section “Collateral Exhibition” will be launched. Local large-scale commercial galleries and institutions are invited to participate, so as to draw the existing activities of community arts, and raise the public’s awareness of the local art market. During the event, a series of artistic exchange activities will be held, allowing audiences to explore the charm of “Art Macao” in depth.
For more information, please visit the event’s website at www.artmacao.mo, the official Instagram account “artmacao”, “IC Art” page on Facebook, or WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao”.
The press conference of “Art Macao” was held today (5 July) at the Macao Cultural Centre Conference Room and was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the President of Sands China Ltd., Wilfred Wong; the Director of Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited, Clarence Chung Yuk Man; Vice President of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Chan Ching Ha; the Chief Marketing Officer of Wynn Macau, Limited, Zoe Zou; the Senior Vice President of Arts & Culture of MGM, Cristina Kuok; the Senior Vice President of Marketing of SJM RESORTS, LIMITED, Joseph Liu; the Deputy Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, Wong Ka Ki; the Vice Presidents of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheong Lai San and Cheang Kai Meng; the Director of the Macao Museum of Art, Un Sio San; and the participating local artists, including Konstantin Bessmertny, Ung Vai Meng, Lampo Leong, Chan Hin Io, Bunny Lai Sut Weng and Eric Fok Hoi Seng.