Art Macao returns and launches pre-events in June turning Macao into a great garden of artistic creativity
“Art Macao”, a mega international cultural and artistic event in Macao, will be held from July to October this year. Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Cultureand the Secretariat for Economy and Finance, the event is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macao Government Tourism Office, and co-organized by the Education and Youth Development Bureau, with the participation of hotels and integrated resorts, various creative cities and local higher education institutions. Curated by Professor Qiu Zhijie, one of the most influential contemporary artists in China and Dean of the School of Experimental Art of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, “Art Macao” will continue to create an immersive cultural atmosphere with the entire city as a gallery and an art garden, bringing a variety of visual art experiences to residents and tourists.
“Art Macao” connects the whole world with creativity. The highlight of this year’s mega event “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021”, themed “To create for well-being”, gathers creative ideas from around the world, aiming to promote the reputation of Macao as a world heritage city and reshape the humanistic spirit in the post-epidemic era. “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021” is divided into several sections: Main Exhibition, Special Exhibition of Resorts and Hotels, Public Art Exhibition, Creative City Pavilion, Selected Works by Local Artists , and Collateral Exhibition. Themed “Advance and retreat of globalization”, the Main Exhibition is divided into three parts: “The Dream of Mazu”, “Matteo Ricci’s Labyrinth of Memory” and “Advance and Retreat of Globalization”, providing a space for reflection and discussion on globalization and individuality, life and dreams, remoteness and proximity, security and happiness, among others. The Main Exhibition also echoes the geographical and cultural identities of Macao, and triggers an in-depth dialogue between local and global artistic concepts. “Art Macao” not only hosts international masters and local celebrities, but also attracts the participation of prestigious cities such as Macao, the City of Gastronomy; Nanjing, the City of Literature; Wuhan, the City of Design; Linz, the City of Media Arts. Whilst point of convergence of unique cultural essence originating from various creative cities, as well as the prominent outdoor artistic installations, Macao will once again become a great garden filled of artistic creativity.
Chief curator Qiu Zhijie won the annual Award of Art China by Artron twice and was nominated for the same award three times; he was shortlisted for the Hugo Boss Prize of the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2012, and received an honorary mention at the Sharjah Biennial in 2017. He held dozens of individual exhibitions and hundreds of collective exhibitions at galleries from home and abroad, and curated numerous exhibitions, including the 9th Shanghai Biennale “Reactivation” in 2012 and the exhibition “Continuum - Generation by Generation” at the China Pavilion in the Venice Biennale in 2017, which earned a dramatic response. In July, Qiu Zhijie will host two lectures at the Auditorium on the first floor of the Macao Museum of Art. The first lecture entitled “The Curatorial Logic of the Macao Biennale” will be held at 7pm on 6 July, while the second lecture entitled “Where is Asia?” will be held at 3pm on 18 July. Both lectures will be conducted in Mandarin. Interested parties may register from 8 June through the “Activities Registration System” on IC’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event.
In order to allow more people to participate in “Art Macao”, the Creative City Pavilion “Macao - City of Gastronomy: Bon Appétit!” hosts a romantic composition contest under the theme of Macao’s representative souvenirs “Lou Po pastry (wife)” and “Lou Kong pastry (husband)” from today to 30 June, creating an atmosphere of “Love in Food. Love in Poems”. Participants are required to write a short letter or poem to their lovers in Chinese or Portuguese. All Macao residents aged above 18 are welcome to participate. Winners will have the opportunity to receive a prize of up to MOP3,000 and certificates, and their works will be exhibited in the Creative City Pavilion “Macao - City of Gastronomy: Bon Appétit!”. For details of the contest, please visit the official website of “Art Macao”.
The participating hotels and integrated resorts in “Art Macao” include Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited, MGM, SandsChinaLtd., Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A. (SJM), Wynn Macau, Limited, and Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited. The Organizer will pay close attention to the epidemic situation, follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau, and make appropriate arrangements for the activities. More information about “Art Macao” will be announced later on the respective webpage at www.artmacao.mo, its official Instagram account “artmacao”, “IC Art” page on Facebook and WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao”.