Arts | Exhibition opens exploring Macanese idiosyncrasies

An opening night preview of an exhibition showcasing the works of local artist and MDT design editor Joao Magalhaes was held at the “Tom N Toms Coffee” gallery earlier this month.
Titled “Caffeine – Work by Joao Jorge Magalhaes,” the exhibition, curated by Blanc Art, features around a dozen works that explore the intersection of Chinese and Western elements in the territory, and the idiosyncrasies of the Macanese culture that has subsequently flourished.
Featuring bright, single-hue colors and sharply rendered outlines of shapes, the electronically designed works resemble stained glass images that might be typically found in a Catholic chapel.
The exhibition also features a more abstract piece, titled “Tsunami Two.” It is a stark reminder of the power of natural disasters and the impact they can have on societies. A previous version of the installation was exhibited in the Macao Museum of Art.
Inspired by the “Fukushima Tsunami” that struck Japan in 2011, the artwork is comprised of over 500 spoons held together with small metal rings. The connected spoons hang from larger rings attached to the ceiling. Resembling a chandelier, the spoons vibrate and gently sway creating a rippling wave-like effect.
“Although it was inspired by the tsunami [that struck Fukushima] it actually represents the dual power of natural disasters to destroy and yet also renew something,” Magalhaes told the Times. “After all, water is the source of life.”
“But it also reminds us of the hunger in the world,” he added, through the symbolic use of the “silver spoon,” which is often connected with notions of privilege.
Silver spoons – replicas of those used in the artwork – were sold at the exhibition’s opening night to raise funds for charity. They are also available from the Blanc Art Facebook page or the organizer’s website. The revenue from the sale of the spoons will be given to charity, read a statement from Blanc Art.
The exhibition will be open to the public until September 30.