Public Art | Cloud Pavilion sculpture unveiled beside Sai Van Lake

Organized by the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) and supported by the Macao Foundation and City University of Hong Kong, an opening ceremony for a new public sculpture was held last night at Plaza Sai Van, near the Macau Tower.
Approximately 100 people attended the opening ceremony of the sculpture, which is named “The Cloud Pavilion,” and were thrilled when after the ceremony, four dance routines were performed by Macau-based artists by the side of the lake.
A collaboration between architecture students from USJ and media students from City University of Hong Kong, the pavilion is a temporary structure constructed from bamboo rods, steel cables and fabric panels. It is enlivened by a computer-controlled light and sound show.

Through the application of advanced digital design techniques to vernacular construction materials, the pavilion is intended as a link between Macau’s historical building traditions and contemporary cityscape.
“Working under these conditions is not what we usually do,” said Tobias Klein from the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong. “In fact my students always work in front of computers. They normally enjoy that. But to come out and see how 40 students […] between architecture and media have come together for the first time [in this type of collaboration], is quite a wonderful moment.”
Many of the 40 students who worked on the project were in attendance at yesterday’s opening ceremony. It was also attended by the two USJ instructors involved in the project, Jason Dembski and Diogo Teixeira, who both received gifts on the behalf of the students.
After the opening ceremony, guests were treated to four performances: “Capoeira Trio,” (featuring just two dancers), solo-dancer Heather Spilka performing “Fabric of Desires,” Neil Sweeney’s “Shape Shifter,” and “Untitled Duet” featuring impressive displays of strength and balance from two male performers.
The pavilion will be on exhibition in the plaza until June 3.