Kraak Porcelain Plate with Lion and Flowers Decorations (Macao Museum of Art)
A four-month mega international cultural and artistic event, “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021” will be inaugurated on Thursday (15 July), on the 1st floor of the Macao Museum of Art, presenting a movable feast of the city. On the occasion, the Main Exhibition themed “Advance and Retreat of Globalization” will also be inaugurated, with three exhibitions, distributed through various areas of the Macao Museum of Art, reflecting on the advances and retreats of globalization through the arts.
“Art Macao” will present 30 art exhibitions in 25 locations from July to October, bringing an immersive cultural atmosphere to the entire city as a gallery and an art garden, allowing the public to enjoy the beauty and vividness of art. This edition is 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, focusing on contemporary visual arts. “Art Macao” is divided into several sections: Main Exhibition, Special Exhibition of Resorts and Hotels, Creative City Pavilion, Public Art Exhibition, Selected Works by Local Artists and Collateral Exhibition, aiming to reshape the humanistic spirit in the post-epidemic era.
Curated by Qiu Zhijie, the Main Exhibition at the Macao Museum of Art 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 three thematic exhibitions feature over 40 artists from nearly 20 countries and regions, presenting more than 100 pieces/sets of artworks.
The first part of the Main Exhibition “The Dream of Mazu” brings together Ming’s and Qing’s export porcelain transhipped through Macao, the combination of traditional and contemporary creations of azulejo tiles by artists from Portugal, the brand-new blue-and-while porcelain works by artists from China and the Middle East; the second part of the Main Exhibition “Matteo Ricci’s Labyrinth of Memory” describes the Western world’s view of China over 500 years. Both parts of the exhibition are held until 15 August. The third part of the Main Exhibition “Advance and Retreat of Globalization” shows that artists around the world have been continuously working on creation, striving to open a new spiritual path that leads the world from despair, and organizing the ideas about tradition and memory mentioned in the first two chapters. This part of the exhibition is held until 17 October.
Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture and the Secretariat for Economy and Finance, “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021” is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macao Government Tourism Office, and co-organized by the Education and Youth Development Bureau, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited, MGM, Sands China Ltd., SJM RESORTS, LIMITED, Wynn Macau, Limited, and Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited, with the participation of various creative cities and local higher education institutions, as well as the support of the Municipal Affairs Bureau and Air Macau.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures for the event. All participants must wear face masks, undergo temperature checks, present a valid “Macao Health Code” of the day, and follow crowd control measures on-site. Admission to all activities is free.
More information 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”.
