Autumn Salon 2017 | Tang Kuok Ho’s photography bags Orient Foundation award

“Scenery of Night” was the big winner of the event

One of Macau’s most anticipated contemporary local art exhibitions had its opening night on Saturday at the Orient Foundation’s Casa Garden headquarters, where it was met with a quieter reception than previous years.
The 2017 Autumn Salon – the latest edition of an annual exhibition that began in 2010 – saw fewer guests, participating artists and works on display.

To recognize Macau’s most outstanding new artworks, organizers Art For All (AFA) and the Orient Foundation together present the Orient Foundation Art Award to one participating artist every year.

This year’s winner was Tang Kuok Ho for a large photograph titled “Scenery of Night”. Honorable mentions went to Chan On Kei for a ceramic piece titled “Bite” and Season Lao for a photograph taken in Hokkaido, Japan.

Alice Kok, the curator of both AFA and the Autumn Salon 2017, said she was honored to be the “creator of the show” for another year.

“It has been a great pleasure to make the selection and put the artworks in their proper place – especially in this beautiful mansion that is Casa Garden.”

However, the art on display at the exhibition did not appear to comply with AFA’s official regulations.

According to the regulations, “the year of creating the artworks must be after 2015”. However, a list of works circulated at the opening noted that some of the art on display – including one of the honorable mentions – dated back as early as 2012. The Times contacted AFA to enquire about this irregularity but did not receive a reply by press time.

Of the works showcased at the exhibition, the people’s choice was “Until the End of Time”, a provocative music box installation by Yves Etienne Sonolet.

The installation depicts a glass box containing a pack of cigarettes, which opens and closes its lid in synchronization with a seductive song by Annie Wang.

Guests circled the “singing” pack of cigarettes, capturing its eye-catching performance on video and conversing with the artist all evening.

According to organizers, the Autumn Salon provides a space for local artists, aged between 18 and 35, to showcase their latest works. It aims to “[give] the young generation more opportunities as a starting point in their road to art.”

The event also seeks to contribute to the sustainability of the industry by providing a platform for patrons to purchase original local works.

The exhibition will run until November 30, 2017 at Casa Garden. Entry is free.