Post-Pandemic Art in Macao
Macao is located at the edge south China has been known for many aspects, the most obvious one is the numerous luxurious hotels with shimming casinos. Macao is also named as the “Las Vegas of the East” in 2017. Macao is well-known for her East-meets-West cultures and Portuguese customs. This is a tourist city full of exotic colours and vitality. There are both antique traditional temples exuding oriental culture, as well as many solemn Catholic churches and European-style buildings, telling the rich history, culture and changes of Macao. Being a unique historic centre, Macao was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. Notwithstanding this unique cultural background, Macao was once called a “cultural desert”.
At the time of the pandemic, Macao’s tourism and gaming-dependent economy was hit hard by Covid lockdowns. Due to the impact of the pandemic, both the local tourism and culture bureaus started to draw up plans and policies, not only to diversify the income source of the city, but at the same time attempt to promote cross-cultural and entertainment industries in Macao. This is where art in Macao began to play a more important role and reach out more to the communities rather than just being showcased solely in an art museum.
IC Art under the Cultural Affairs Bureau has brought “ART MACAO 2023” in full force after a low key version in 2021. “ART MACAO” is an international event launched in 2019, aimed at congregating global creative artists to produce a city-wide signature biennale event.
“ART MACAO 2023” has adopted the theme “The Statistic of Fortune” for the expressions of reflecting expectations and concerns caused by the development of science and technology, and exploring clashes and interactions between science and religion. This biennale art event lasted from summer to autumn (July to October) and presented 30 art showcases across the city.
The exhibition works of over 200 zestful and representative artists from more than 20 countries and regions provided a grand aesthetic journey for visitors. The objective is to raise the cultural and artistic atmosphere of Macao as a famous World Heritage city.
The Main Exhibition responding to the theme featured 118 contemporary pieces, including paintings, printmaking, photography, mixed media, sculpture, installation, video, and artificial intelligent art. With the emerging of Public Art Exhibition, City Pavilion, Special Exhibition (BE@RBRICK, MR Doodle, To Infinity and Beyond, Meet the Magic Disney, Virtually Versailles, Re-encounter with Leonardo da Vinci), Invitational Exhibition by local artists, Local Curatorial Project, Art Exhibition of Higher Education Institutions and Collateral Exhibitions across the city, locals are more aware of the existence of art in the city.
One of the most eye-catching and popular among both children and adults is Doodle Art in City of Dreams and advertisements printed on public transportation. For other exhibitions, “Children tours” were provided to guide children and families to understand the correlation between science and art implied in the artworks.
The “ART MACAO” has created a new platform for diverse cultural exchange and broadened international artistic perspectives in Macao. Many will be amazed by what a small city like Macao can conceive: the Creativity of Gastronomy, Vibrant Grand Prix and Fireworks Display Contest, and Music Event HUSH! are getting more popular among young people.
Art is now a new trend after the pandemic for the desire of experiencing aesthetic inspiration, and to express the uniqueness of the cultural background of the small city, Macao.
Writer Elizabeth Lei
