Arts | Second phase of ‘The Long Journey’ exhibition on display

The second phase of “The Long Journey” exhibition series, “The Long Journey: The Forbidden City and Maritime Silk Road” and “Cultural and Creative Products from the Palace Museum and Education Area” will be open to the public from this Saturday.

Organized by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) and the Palace Museum, the two exhibitions will lead visitors to reflect on the boom in cultural exchange which occurred between the East and the West.

The exhibition, located at the Exhibition Gallery of MAM, is divided into three sections: “Crossing the Oceans,” “Bringing Western Influence to the East” and “Eclecticism.” The exhibition features nearly 150 exquisite cultural relics from the Palace Museum’s collection.

These cultural relics include porcelain, scientific instruments, timepieces, everyday items, enamel pieces, calligraphy, paintings and textiles related to the Maritime Silk Road.

According to a statement issued by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, these cultural relics are mostly tributes presented by foreign envoys.

The gifts and objects were brought by the Western missionaries, while the calligraphy and paintings were produced in the court by these missionaries.

These relics are said to highlight the achievements of the Ming and Qing courts’ cultural exchange and their interactions with the outside world, suggestive of Macau’s role as a former international entrepot in the Far East.

“The Long Journey” exhibition recalls notable pieces from the Forbidden City series that have been shown over the past two decades since the establishment of the MAM. “A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains 3.0,” was the first phase in the series and presented a dynamic digital scroll.

Aiming to serve public interests in their upcoming exhibitions, MAM is hosting a number of preliminary activities in early January. These include exhibitions such as “The Mystery behind Sundial Timekeeping,” “Timepiece Craftsmanship” and “Western Influence on the Qing Dynasty Court Painting.” LV