Featured image: The Wanderer, by Wong Ka Long
Art Macao is spreading art all over the city and it’s no different outdoors. There is an array of art pieces spread around in parks and garden across Macau, including Cotai and Taipa. “Happy Heads” is at Jorge Álvares Square until August 15, 2019. Created by Benoit+Bo–a duo of Franco-Chinese visual artists–it’s a sight to see in the middle of the grass. Their artistic practice is above all an invitation to travel. They work on territories and landscapes from their own memories and places they have visited. Through photography, sculpture or video, these artists can evoke the various issues of today’s world. “Happy Heads”, which they call “smiling heads”, are colorful masks inspired by popular Chinese festivals. The mask is their emblem but also the link between all their works made since the creation of their duet in 2003.
Happy Heads by Benoit+Bo (Belgium)
“The Wanderer” (see featured image on top) is artwork created by Wong Ka Long, featuring multiple sculptures of Fernando Pessoa. Fernando Pessoa is a famous Portuguese poet and author, whose work was acclaimed with its unique poetic quality and philosophy. He was also famed for “inventing” personalities, fabricating 75 heteronyms to replace himself. In this international exhibition, local artist Wong Ka Long is presenting sculptures of Pessoa, representing the world through the perspective of Pessoa, to make him more known to the audience. Sculptures wandering in the same place are and aren’t Pessoa at the same time, resonating with the heteronyms he invented.
Sanctuary, by João Ó and Rita Machado
“Sanctuary”, designed by João Ó and Rita Machado is a site-specific outdoor intervention located at the top of the hill, within the defence walls of Mount Fortress, once a historical military center of Macau, now transformed into a prime location for tourists to get a panoramic view of the city and the mainland areas. It is from the weight of the history embedded at this site that this temporary bamboo structure reveals its meaningful raison d’être, a shaded canopy to protect the passersby from the elements and give peace of mind, rest and contemplation before their departure to the next destination.
Contemplation of Lovingkindness, by Mok Yat San
“Contemplation of Lovingkindness” by Mok Yat-San, is a set of stainless steel sculptures combining elements of Chinese ink art and the contemporary landscape. The sculptures create a surreal and dreamlike landscape scene, yet items like banyan trees and hexagonal rock columns commonly seen in Hong Kong draw viewers back to reality, signifying the inseparable relationship between the natural world and people in the urban environment. It also reminds people of the importance of treasuring and preserving nature.
When: June–October, 2019
Where: Anim’Arte Nam Van, Macao Cultural Centre, Taipa Houses-Museum, Praça Jorge Álvares, Mount Fortress
How much: Free admission
For more information, check here
Outdoor Art Installations are part of the mega international art and cultural event Art Macao.
Happening from May to October this year, Art Macao brings together cultural institutions, hotel and resort operators, consular missions in Hong Kong and Macau to create an unforgettable atmosphere and cultural vitality to thrill residents and tourists alike.
