Foreword

Since Macao’s return to Chinese sovereignty 25 years ago, the city’s landscape has undergone significant changes. Macao, a unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, has increasingly strengthened its position on the East Asian cultural map, drawing international attention from artists around the globe.

In terms of recent art history, the modern art scene in Macao began in the early 1980s and it has been evolving and improving over the past 40 years. Today, the diverse artistic landscape in the city is more vibrant than ever. Over the past few decades, a new generation of artistic talents with vigorous creativity has emerged, examining the city’s rich history and character from their fresh perspectives. Their works, transcending the boundaries of traditional painting, explore diverse concepts and mixed media styles, ultimately showcasing Macao’s unique culture to the world through art and creativity.

Since its opening in 1999, the Macao Museum of Art has continuously expanded its collection of modern and contemporary artworks, building upon the legacy of the former Luís de Camões Museum of Macao. The current exhibition, New Perspectives: Modern and Contemporary Works from the Macao Museum of Art, features a selection of works by local artists and talents from Portugal, as well as Russian and Australian artists who resided in the city.

The exhibition is divided into three sections: ‘Scenery and Images’, ‘Ink Expressions and Concepts’, and ‘Objects, Colours, and New Perspectives’. It showcases 100 pieces encompassing various creative styles and techniques, including watercolours, oil paintings, ink art, printmaking, photography, installation, and mixed media. The works on display demonstrate the achievements and diversity of the museum’s collection since its establishment, exemplifying Macao’s unique identity as a crossroads between Eastern and Western cultures, as well as the city’s rich cultural values and diverse forms of artistic expression.

This exhibition explores the unique perspectives and innovative artistic languages of three generations of Macao artists, showcasing the city’s vibrant and dynamic artistic ecology. Their works represent not only a recreation of the city’s memory and reflections on its past, but also visions and imaginations for its future. The exhibition aims to provide visitors with an array of new visual experiences and encourage deeper contemplation on Macao’s cultural memories.

Curator
Noah, Ng Fong Chao

Section I

Scenery and Images

The urban character of Macao is reflected in its natural landscapes and deeply imprinted on its architecture and in its streets and alleyways. Church architecture serves as a unique urban symbol, embodying the historical significance of Macao as a crossroads between East and West. Religious buildings, in fact, have become an essential part of the city’s collective memory.

In contrast, Macao’s lively neighbourhoods showcase citizens’ daily routines and cultural memories, shaping the city’s distinctive urban identity and reflecting its historical context. All these are given new life through the works of art. Local artists break through traditional visual frameworks to reconstruct Macao’s collective memory and cultural image. Emerging artists depict not only the city’s natural and urban landscapes but also the evolving daily life and cultural adaptations in the context of globalisation.

Section II

Ink Expressions and Concepts

Since the early 20th century, abstract art has flourished amidst the rise of modern art in Europe. It has evolved into two major categories: ‘cold abstraction’, characterised by a sense of calm and intellectual detachment, and ‘hot abstraction’, characterised by emotional intensity and vibrant colours – both of which remain influential today. Abstract art departs from the norms of painting that focus on the precise representation of objects. Instead, it emphasises the essence of things and the expression of personal emotions. This liberation of visual language offers viewers an entirely new sensory and intellectual experience.

In the 1980s, abstract art began to flourish in Macao when artists who relocated to Macao from mainland China and Portugal, along with local Chinese and Macanese artists, converged in this unique atmosphere of cultural fusion. This diverse mix of influences and perspectives led to the development of expressive abstraction in Macao. Some artists, while upholding the spirit of traditional landscape painting, also created new ink art in varied shades and forms with abstract techniques. Their work reveals a deep understanding of the relationship between traditional aesthetics and modern artistic concepts.

Section III

Objects, Colours, and New Perspectives

This section of the exhibition presents the unique spiritual world of Macao, offering viewers a glimpse of the city’s visual culture. The featured artists reinterpret traditional culture using contemporary artistic languages and practices, showcasing the nuances and meanings of Macao art. In addition, the pieces reflect the contemplation of the new generation’s artists on the relationship between traditional aesthetics and modern concepts.

Local artists, with their bold explorations of visual language and their daring experiments with diverse materials, embody an avant-garde spirit in Macao that is truly inspiring. This approach can be traced back to the ‘Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau’ (‘Macao Cultural Friends Circle’), whose members in the 1980s pioneered the contemporary art scene in the city. The works in this exhibition demonstrate artists pushing the boundaries further, using found objects and materials such as waste, neon lights, everyday items, and even artificial intelligence, thereby highlighting the diversity and richness of Macao’s installation art. The use of these materials not only creates new textures and visual effects but also reflects the artists’ concerns about contemporary social issues.

1st and 2nd floors, Macao Museum of Art

Duration：2024/12/13 – 2025/05/25