Since Macao’s return to Chinese Sovereignty in 1999, the Cultural Institute of the Macao S.A.R. Government has held the Macao Annual Art Exhibition in March every year during the Macao Arts Festival. Four exhibitions have so far been held: “Macao Landscapes” (watercolour and photography) exhibition in 2001, “Macao’s Cultural Heritage” in 2002, “Chinese Treasures” in 2003 and “China and the West: Cultural Influence and Innovation” in 2004. Using international exhibition standards and adopting a thematic approach, the exhibitions aim to stimulate artistic creativity, seek out new talents and promote the different media. While promoting technical innovation, the event also aims to encourage the artistic expression of ideas. The Cultural Institute invites individuals representing different fields of expertise from various regions outside Macao to form the selection panel and to host lectures and discussions to enhance local artists’ theoretical and practical standards.

For its participants, the event is more than a platform for local exhibition; it provides them with the opportunity for cultural exchange and exhibition outside Macao. The previous exhibitions travelled to Chongshan, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Beijing, Suzhou and other regions, and several works were acquired by the National Art Museum of China, providing Macao artists with valuable publicity.

Organised around the exhibition, there are also various visual arts-related educational activities. Assisted by local art colleges such as the Macao Polytechnic Institute,there have been a wide variety of activities, such as “school workshops”, focused on teaching students in local universities, secondary and primary schools, and preschools, and “family art workshops”, aimed at teaching parents in cultivating their children. Over the years, the various workshops that take place during the exhibition have become more developed and focused in both form and content, and are now appreciated locally as a medium for experimentation in art education. Additionally, the workshops have provided a forum for exchanging ideas about teaching multimedia visual arts, composing teaching plans, events planning and teacher training. With on-going improvements and fine-tuning, the exhibition has succeeded in unearthing new talents, promoting art education and in increasing the standard of art in Macao, receiving a lot of support and attention from local residents.

In 2004, as soon the “China and the West: Cultural Influence and Innovation” exhibition in the 15th Macao Arts Festival ended, the Cultural Institute immediately invited members from 34 local visual art associations to Tap Seac Gallery to discuss the theme and planning for the 2005 exhibition. They finally came up with the theme of “Macao’s Cultural Heritage – Beyond History” and after a series of discussions and revisions, a press release was distributed in August 7 inviting the submission of entries.

With “Macao’s Cultural Heritage – Beyond History” as the theme, participants were inspired to explore the myriad aspects of Macao’s culture over the course of its history. Artists were free to express their perceptions and convey their unique interpretations, reflecting the contemporary spirit of artistic proliferation in Macao.

A total of 350 works from 177 artists were submitted in late October, including 70 ink wash paintings, 41 calligraphies, 72 drawings/paintings/prints, 109 photographs, 20 sculptures, 8 installations, 20 posters, 3 videos and 7 works of mixed media.

The selection panel consisted of five experts from different fields of visual art, including the Art Director of the Cultural Institute of Shenzhen, Principal of the Shenzhen Fine Art Institute and ink wash painter Dong Xiao Ming, the Rector of the Institute of Sculpture of Guangzhou and sculptor Yu Chang, Taiwanese painter Chen Hsien Tung, Hong Kong designer Tommy Lee, and Canadian photographer and multi-media artist David Miller.

The selection process was carried out on November 12, 2004 with 125 successful works including 18 ink wash paintings, 18 calligraphies, 36 drawings/paintings/prints, 24 photographs, 11 sculptures, 5 installations, 11 posters, 1 video and 1 fibre textile.

The list of selected works was posted at Tap Seac Gallery and on the Macao Art Net www.macauart.net on November 15. Ten of the selected works were chosen as the “Top Ten Entries” and were announced at the exhibition’s opening ceremony. The exhibition will be on display from March 26 to June 26 2005 at Tap Seac Gallery.