Road markings-inspired exhibition opens at Orient Foundation

Tracing * Liners”, an exhibition by Portuguese designer João Palla, kicked off at the Orient Foundation last Friday evening.

Organized by the Orient Foundation, in collaboration with António Mil- Homens and João Cordeiro, the foundation has unveiled a set of works which reflect the patterns of zebras, particularly as the stripes on the road that mark pedestrian crossings.

When explaining the meaning of the exhibition title, Palla expressed his deep interest in these road markings, as well as how they were made and the paint used to make them.

Thirty-four of Palla’s artworks are being displayed in the foundation’s exhibition room, including his works ‘Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida’ and ‘Estádio 4’. The works are priced between MOP500 and MOP4,000, with the most expensive collection comprising eight independent pieces worth MOP4,000 each. When combined, the eight pieces form an integrated work titled ‘Conselheiro Borja’.

Road markings first came into use in England and in the United States a hundred years ago. Since then, the methods of tracing have changed little, according to Palla.

Meanwhile, the inconsistent conventions for road marking in different regions result in very different situations.

Palla lived in Macau for a total of four and a half years in the 1980s and 1990s. He remarked that Macau’s architectural heritage has deteriorated, although the city’s economic development has infused the city’s architecture with positive vibes.