On Friday May 12, “We bid farewell to Portofino because it’s closing down,” Wilfred Wong told the Times, explaining a group of old timers among the company’s staff had one last lunch at the restaurant and bar that was one of the hottest in the casino industry’s heyday, long before the pandemic.
Wong revealed Portofino is being converted into a retail area because “the place is close by the shopping mall, so it makes sense.” However, another Italian restaurant will be located in that area, he said, without revealing more details.
The SCL president also said the upcoming opening of the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill and the Thai restaurant (The Mews) at The Londoner “will bring a lot more offerings to patrons.”
Ramsay’s will be opened by the end of the year, in the fourth quarter, he said.
Fang Lijun and teamLab
“Fang Lijun is considered one of the pioneers of [Chinese] contemporary art. He started appearing on the art scene in the 1990s, as a very liberally minded artist,” Wong said about the new exhibition that opened last week at the Sands Gallery (SG).
The famous artist brought to town “something different.” Fang is not exhibiting his paintings at the gallery, “which are the most famous and valuable works;” he preferred to bring his less known works in ceramics.
“Every piece of his ceramic is different, although it’s like a congregation, of bone and flesh. And it’s because of his technique… something inspirational.”
Wong told the Times the SG, which opened in 2022, already had six displays mostly of Chinese contemporary art, or classic art with modern approaches.
teamLab, on the other hand, is the jewel in the crown which tomorrow celebrates its Grand Opening after more than three years since its inception. According to Wong, it is the world’s 10th most sought-after visual art exhibition, seen by over 200,000 people – mostly from Macau, because for years the city was closed.
“But ever since the opening [of the borders], Hong Kong and mainland visitors have filled the teamLab gallery. And every long weekend we are breaking visitation records.” PC
