Sands China showcases Sesame Street installation and contemporary art in two exhibitions

Sands China unveiled two themed exhibitions yesterday as part of the Macao International Art Biennale 2025: the special exhibition “Dopamine: Fountain of Happiness” at The Venetian Macao and the collateral exhibition “Beyond the Frame: International Contemporary Masterpieces” at Sands Gallery.

The exhibitions feature a total of more than 80 artistic creations, which will be on display from July 29 through October 15.

The special exhibition “Dopamine: Fountain of Happiness” showcases nine artists from Asia, Europe, and the United States: Craig & Karl, Bibi Lei, GRAFFLEX, Hei Lok, Ilya Milstein, Jun Oson, Jonni Cheatwood, and Song Zhou.

These artists have reinterpreted globally renowned Sesame Street characters to craft original artworks debuting at Art Macao 2025, drawing inspiration from the pioneering children’s television program that has entertained audiences for over 55 years.

Among the artists, the duo Craig & Karl collaborated with Sands China to create an exclusive limited-edition block-stacking game, Jenga, designed to pay tribute to the spirit of the city.

Each game piece features six unique patterns infused with the artists’ signature aesthetic, transforming the classic game into an art collectible.

The collateral exhibition “Beyond the Frame: International Contemporary Masterpieces,” running simultaneously with the special exhibition, features works from artists whose works were also featured in the Sesame Street installations.

These artists break conventional frameworks through distinctive visual languages, utilizing diverse mediums such as painting, sculpture, installation art, and mixed media.

“For the special exhibition Beyond the Frame, I kind of created a little street corner of New York… that’s a recreation of another city through Sesame Street,” Italian artist Ilya Milstein told the press on the sidelines of the event.

He added, “Among the many small details in these streets are about seven references to Macau, included as real-life ways Macau and its culture might actually be encountered in daily life in New York.”

Meanwhile, explaining his work, Brazilian-American artist Jonni Cheatwood said, “For this project, I wanted to draw from the world as a character – his joyfulness, playfulness, restlessness, and chaos. I aimed to create a piece that had my unique language and emotional weight. I think Macau is the perfect place for this.”

Times Reporter