Gov’t to feature more local artists in nearly 30 exhibitions

The annual Macao International Art Biennale, running from July 19 to October 19, will feature about 27% local artists – up from 22% last year – with the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) pledging to further increase local participation in future editions.

At a press conference yesterday, it was announced that this year’s event, themed “Hey, what brings you here?,” will once again be co-organized by the city’s six integrated resort operators in collaboration with the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO).

The event will feature six sections: the Main Exhibition, Public Art Exhibition, City Pavilion, Special Exhibition, Local Curatorial Project, and Collateral Exhibition, with the Main Exhibition set to open on July 19 at the Macao Museum of Art, as part of nearly 30 exhibitions in total.

As introduced by Deland Leong, the president of the bureau, the Macao International Art Biennale was established in 2019 with the goal of bringing together resources from various sectors to support local artists and connect them to global art developments.

It aims to create a significant international art biennial, which has received positive recognition and become an important cultural event in Macau.

Globalization and local identity are key themes this year, along with a significant increase in the number of overseas works.

“This year’s main venue will feature works by 46 artists from mainland China and Hong Kong and Macau, alongside artists from 13 other countries, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Iran, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Mexico, and the US.

The exhibition will utilize every space in the art museum to showcase 80 works from these countries, employing a special format to offer visitors a unique experience,” Leong stated, revealing that the government has allocated MOP4.5 million for this year’s budget.

The press conference highlighted the event’s aim to support local artists. However, as observed by Times, the percentage of local artists participating seemed low.

In response to Times’ inquiry, Leong clarified that this year’s event included approximately 27% local artists, an increase from 22% in the previous edition.

While this percentage is modest, she highlighted that all six local creation projects featured works by local artists, whereas overseas artists’ works were primarily displayed in the main exhibition.

The president expressed optimism that future editions of the event would gradually boost local artist participation.

“A highlight of this year’s local curatorial project is our goal to select works or artists from these projects for next year’s Venice Biennale. We are committed to creating more platforms in every project and activity to provide local artists with greater opportunities,” Leong emphasized.

She added that this year’s collateral exhibitions are the most numerous in history, with a total of nine held at various locations across Macau, further expanding opportunities for local artists.