Sands China Opens 'Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China' at Sands Gallery
Open daily until Jan. 9
(Macao, Dec 18, 2023) – Sands China Ltd. launched its latest Sands Gallery exhibition Monday, the Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China, with an opening ceremony at The Londoner® Macao. Members of the public can view the admission-free exhibition 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Dec. 19, 2023-Jan. 9, 2024.
The new exhibition is part of Sands China's ongoing commitment to the diversification of art and culture in Macao, providing a platform for promoting extensive exchange and cooperation among local and international art talent.
The Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China at Sands Gallery offers a comprehensive overview of Chinese contemporary art from 2005 to 2022 by showcasing precious publications, surveys, and records, including manuscripts, which provide significant documentation of the evolution of Chinese contemporary art. The exhibition's featured content comes from the "Annual of Contemporary Art of China" – a yearly survey record of the overall activities, exhibitions, and published literature related to Chinese contemporary art, which is compiled at Peking University as an archival foundation for the development of Chinese contemporary art.
This exhibition is a prelude to the upcoming Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China (Macao China), which will take place at Cotai Expo in January 2024 and feature original works from the 2022 Annual, providing visitors with an opportunity to experience the most recent creations of contemporary Chinese artists.
In addition to reviewing the development of Chinese contemporary art, the exhibition includes a dedicated area themed "Being Together Because of Art: Art Archives of Modern and Contemporary Art Associations in Macau." Co-organised with the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) and curated by distinguished MUST guest professor and renowned artist Ung Vai Meng, the area features more than 120 sets of carefully selected art archives from the Macao Art Archive, juxtaposing the development of Macao's modern and contemporary art with Chinese avant-garde art of the 1980s and beyond. The Macao Art Archive was launched by Ung with the support of the MUST Library earlier this year. It also showcases academic documentation complied by MUST professor Gu Yue and his students, revealing new trends in tertiary art education and experimental art in Asia through art archives from both Hong Kong and Macao.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said, "After four decades of evolution, Chinese artists are now confidently and independently creating their own style of contemporary art, after learning from and emulating the innovative and analytical artistic attitudes of Western predecessors. Presently, Chinese contemporary artists have made world-famous achievements with an outstanding array of arts developed from their interactions with local Chinese cultures and customs. It is hence of profound significance for the documental exhibition and the annual's art exhibition to be held in this city for the very first time. Macao has been a meeting point for various cultures over the past four centuries; under this background and by showcasing the records collated by experts and scholars, we hope to help local artists gain inspiration from the footsteps of their contemporary counterparts on the mainland, and familiarise art enthusiasts with the history of Chinese contemporary art."
He added: "We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our partner, the Chinese Modern Art Archive (CMAA) of Peking University for presenting this impressive exhibition and to the Macau University of Science and Technology for their generous support of the exhibition. Our special thanks also go to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR, and the Macao Government Tourism Office for giving us support and encouragement."
The Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China is co-organised by Sands China and the Chinese Modern Art Archive (CMAA) of Peking University and is supported by the Macau University of Science and Technology Library and the Faculty of Humanities and Arts. It was curated by Professor Zhu Qingsheng, the art historian, art critic, and artist better known as Lao Zhu. Besides being chief editor of the "Annual of Contemporary Art of China" and president of the Comité International d'Histoire de I'Art, he is professor and director of the Centre for Visual Studies (CVS) at Peking University and director of the World Art History Institute (WAI) at Shanghai International Studies University. He has been the head of the Chinese Modern Art Archive for 37 years, since 1986.
He said: "The 'Annual of Contemporary Art of China' not only serves as a documentation of art, but also a reflection of Chinese history, reality, our country and its relationship with the world. Art does not necessarily reflect truth or information about the world, as it is always used as a way to express people's thoughts and attitudes toward things. The Chinese Modern Art Archive, in some sense, plays a pivotal and valuable part in China's National History Archives. If the 'Annual of Contemporary Art of China' were a mirror reflecting the annual progression of Chinese contemporary art, its exhibition – 'The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China' – would be the quintessence of this symbolism."
Zhu has been the chief editor of the "Annual of Contemporary Art of China" since 2005. As a large-scale annual, it objectively records facts, provides concise descriptions of each record, and establishes a comparative index to display the changes in China's contemporary art – reflecting China's modernization process, societal trends, cultural phenomena, and the role of art in pushing and reflecting on modernization. It has been published continuously since its 2005 edition, with 18 volumes to date.
Sands Gallery launched in 2022, and has since been dedicated to introducing a greater diversity of art exhibitions to Macao and promoting the sustainable development of the local art and cultural industry. This permanent art space was born out of Sands China's increased investment in art and cultural development and its commitment to support the SAR government's strategy for non-gaming development. Sands Gallery regularly invites internationally renowned artists to host a variety of types of art exhibitions in Macao to enrich the art experiences of local residents and tourists. To date, the gallery has already organised eight art exhibitions that feature Chinese and international artists.
Photo caption: Sands China's free-admission art exhibition, the Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China, is open for public viewing 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Dec. 19, 2023-Jan. 9, 2024, at Sands Gallery, on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons. It showcases precious publications, surveys, and records, including manuscripts, documenting the evolution of Chinese contemporary art from 2005 to 2022.
Photo caption: Guests of honour cut the ribbon Monday at the opening ceremony of the Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China at The Londoner Macao. The free-admission exhibition is open for public viewing 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Dec. 19, 2023-Jan. 9, 2024, at Sands Gallery, on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons.
Left to right: Gu Yue, Executive Curator of Documental Exhibition, Professor and Ph.D. Supervisor of Faculty of Humanities and Arts of MUST; Ung Vai Meng, Distinguished Guest Professor of Faculty of Humanities and Arts of MUST; Zhu Qingsheng, Curator of Documental Exhibition, Professor at Peking University; Cheang Kai Meng, Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government; Wu Zhiliang, President of the Macao Foundation; Dr. Wilfred Wong, President of Sands China Ltd.; Ricky Hoi Io Meng, Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; Zhang Wei, Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao S.A.R.; Zhang Zhiqing, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts of MUST; Carlos Marreiros, artist, President of Macau Cultural Group – Modern Painting Association, President of Albergue SCM; Tan Wei, Executive Curator of Documental Exhibition, Executive Director of the Contemporary Art Archive at the Contemporary China Historical Materials Museum of Peking University
Photo caption: Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., speaks at the opening ceremony of the Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China Monday at The Londoner Macao.
Photo caption: Exhibition curator Professor Zhu Qingsheng delivers a presentation at the opening ceremony of the Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China Monday at The Londoner Macao.