Marc Chagall/Preparatory Gouache for Siren and Fish (Nice et la Côte d’Azur, CS 28)/1956–60/Gouache and pastel on paper/H: 77 cm, W: 57 cm/Private collection
Organized by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Macao Foundation, the exhibition “Marc Chagall, Light and Colour in Southern France”, will be inaugurated on Thursday, 31 May, at 6:30pm, on the 1st floor of the MAM. The exhibition features over 100 works by Marc Chagall created between the 1950s and the 1970s, including paintings, gouaches, lithographs, costumes and tapestries, showing the artist’s extraordinary creative abilities in using different means of expression. Bringing for the first time to Macao the works of one of the greatest French artists of the 20th century, the exhibition is one of the highlights of the 29th Macao Arts Festival and of the 2018 Le French May. The exhibition is open to the general public.
Marc Chagall (1887-1985), was born in White Russia (present-day Belarus) and settled in the South of France in the 1950s. He is one of the most representative figures of modernist painting and a prominent modern artist. His early works were influenced by cubism and constructivism, nurtured by other cultures and the impact of war and exile; the richness of colours give his works a very individual style. In tune with his time, his art embodies a universal message of peace. Borrowing from many 20th century art movements but never aligning with one, his oeuvre is distinct and instantly recognisable, with vivid colours and warm light inviting you on a journey to far and imaginary horizons.
This exhibition explores Chagall’s use of light and colour in the works he created between the 1950s and the 1970s, a period during which the painter drew inspiration from the bright landscapes of the Mediterranean and the Côte d’Azur. Chagall’s artistic universe is based on memory and imagination. In the context of his time, his works often feature dazzling and fantastic colours. Through this exhibition, the public will enjoy a poetic artistic journey and enter the artist’s creative world.
On the day of the opening ceremony, a limited number of two flyers will be distributed, and catalogues for the exhibition “Marc Chagall, Light and Colour in Southern France” will be available to the public for purchase (MOP290). The exhibition “Marc Chagall, Light and Colour in Southern France” is held from 1 June to 26 August 2018 on the 2nd floor of the MAM. The Macao Museum of Art, located at Avenida Xian Xing Hai, NAPE, is open daily from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10am to 7pm (no admission after 6:30pm), including public holidays, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more information, please visit the MAM website at www.MAM.gov.mo or call through tel. no. 8791 9814 during office hours.
