Military Club art exhibition highlights club’s 150-year history

This year’s Macau Artists’ Salon, held by the Macau Military Club annually, will showcase the club’s a-century-and-a-half history, presented in photos and documents.
Five years into this annual art exhibition, the organizing body, the Military Club, has decided to add a sub-exhibition to the overall event. The sub-exhibition shows photos before and after the renovation of the club in 1994. The club is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.
There are several monochrome photos showing balls that were held in the club long ago. Participants at those balls were wearing white dresses and tuxedos, seated at long tables surrounding a dance floor in the center.
Quite a number of photos taken at the relaunching ceremony held after the renovation of the club are also on display. These photos captured the excitement at the relaunching ceremony, with political and business persons present. For example, Vasco Joaquim Rocha Vieira, the last governor of Macau; the late Mário Soares, the then Portuguese President; Macau SAR’s three Chief Executives so far, Edmund Ho, Chui Sai On and Ho Iat Seng; as well as the late Stanley Ho.
Other photos also showed the renovation of the club, which was of a significant scale, with digging and building occurring on the land plot. Documents highlighting visits by iconic persons are also on display.
In the main exhibition, 50 artists have been invited to show 50 works – one by each – to forecast the artistic future of the city. These works are in various mediums, such as painting, photography and calligraphy.
This part of the exhibition features several big names from the city’s art circles. For example, former president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and now professor at the Macau University of Science and Technology, Ung Vai Meng, has provided a set of canvas paintings presented as two hanging circles.
Meanwhile, artist Eric Fok, who is known for drawing antique-style maps, has also provided a piece of work. Architect Lui Chak Keong and calligrapher Aquino da Silva have also provided a work each.
The curator of the exhibition, José Duarte, said at the opening ceremony yesterday that it had been a hard year for many people, let alone the curation team. On top of the challenges brought by the pandemic, the curator added that the team had spent several afternoons in the exhibition hall arranging the artworks.
“We wanted to arrange them in such a way that they give you the most enjoyment,” Duarte said.