The “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries”, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, has been launched, featuring a series of excellent activities in July, of which one of the four thematic exhibitions, the “Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries – Alter Ego”, was inaugurated on Sunday 8 July, at 5:30pm, on the 3rd floor of the Macao Museum of Art. The opening ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Alexis Tam Chon Weng; the Consul-General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong, Vitor Sereno; the Counselor and Director of the Consular Affairs Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao S.A.R., Liu Yufei; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Mok Ian Ian; the Deputy Chief of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao S.A.R., Xin Jianbo;the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, Grant Bowie; and the curator Alexandre Farto aka Vhils.
The exhibition “Alter Ego”, curated by Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils and Pauline Foessel, offers new works published by 27 artists in Macao, taking the audience on a visually striking journey and setting out to explore deeply the complex nature of the self, and the relationship between the self and the other as well as the external world. The exhibition “Alter Ego” includes six thematic exhibitions, namely “The Self”, “The Other”, “From Language to Travel”, “Culture Clash”, “Globalization” and “Alter Ego”. These exhibitions held at various cultural facilities are closely connected to the distinctive exhibition venues they have adopted in Macao, also being intimately linked to the urban environment context of Macao.
The first exhibition, “The Self”, to be held on the 3rd floor of the Macao Museum of Art, begins with an exploration of self-awareness and its role in our ability to interact with what surrounds us. The second exhibition, “The Other”, to be held at the Old Court Building, meanders into the idea of how we need the other in order to exist and how this impacts the way we view and perceive ourselves. The third exhibition, “From Language to Travel”, to be held at the Tap Seac Gallery, focuses on communication and immersive experiences, exploring how mutually understood forms of language allow us to establish relationships. The fourth exhibition, “Culture Clash”, to be held at the Temporary Exhibition Gallery of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, revolves around the contrast of miscommunication and the barriers that are created by different cultural backgrounds and experiences. The fifth exhibition, “Globalization”, to be held at the Taipa Exhibitions Gallery and Nostalgic Houses of Taipa Houses, broadens the spectrum of analysis, looking into the concept of interaction between people and larger entities and the interchanges that occur in an increasingly connected world. The sixth exhibition, “Alter Ego”, to be held at the Navy Yard No.1 – Contemporary Art Center, concludes the process with a thought-provoking incursion into the understanding that while we are all seemingly different, we are also all fundamentally the same. In addition, the exhibition specially invited artists to create public art at the Spectacle in MGM COTAI and in front of the building at No. 12, Praça de Ponte e Horta, allowing the audience to get close and enjoy a unique style of artworks.
The “Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries – Alter Ego”, with special partner MGM COTAI, is held from 9 July to 9 September, at various distinctive exhibition venues in Macao. The other three extraordinary exhibitions of the Annual Arts Exhibition include “Penetrate”, “Aiya” and “The Universe”, which are held at various cultural facilities. Admission to the exhibitions is free. All are welcome. For more information about the exhibitions, please visit the thematic webpage of the Cultural Affairs Bureau “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP, or obtain the respective booklet at the exhibition site.