Sands China Presents 'The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China 2022 (Macau China)'

Curated by Professor Zhu Qingsheng
Featuring original works of 28 contemporary Chinese artists

(Macao, Jan 31, 2024) – Sands China unveiled its latest art exhibition – The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China 2022 (Macau China) – with an opening ceremony Wednesday at The Venetian^® Macao.

The exhibition gives visitors an overview of Chinese contemporary art in 2022 by presenting original works of 28 artists, showcasing some of the most recent creations in this field. It is free and open to the public from Feb. 1 to 27, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily at Cotai Expo Hall C.

Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: "Professor Zhu Qingsheng and his team have curated 'The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China' since 2015. This exhibition is now in its 9th edition and is being held outside the mainland for the first time. As a co-organiser of this exhibition, we aim to utilise Macao's role as a base for cultural exchange and China's window to the world to showcase the strong vitality of Chinese contemporary art to tourists from all over the world. Looking back on 2022, the development of art had been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the Chinese contemporary artists kept contemplating and making dialectical arguments about the era or the social environment that they live in. It is worth constantly reflecting on this development in art history as it has brought new insights within the world of art. We hope that this exhibition can nourish people's souls through art, and enable Macao's local artists to have a thorough understanding of the trends in the development of Chinese contemporary art – so that they can foresee the evolving trends in this field and gain inspiration for their creative works."

The 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 (MUST) Library and Faculty of Humanities and Arts. Its works reflect the artists' cultural and existential experiences against the background of themes such as globalisation, the simulation and transformation of information, the intersections between art and technology, the value and boundaries of art, the female perspective, urbanisation processes, and the history of media communication.

The art pieces presented in the exhibition were selected from the book Annual of Contemporary Art of China 2022. The long-published annual is a yearly survey and record of the overall activities, exhibitions, and published literature related to Chinese contemporary art, and is compiled at Peking University as an archival foundation for the development of Chinese contemporary art.

The exhibited works, which include oil paintings, videos, performance art, installations, and others, were selected because they possess originality, offer reflections on and insights into social reality, and reflect the themes of the exhibition and the overall issues explored in Chinese contemporary art in a structured manner – with an aim to initiate a dialogue about art and the spirit of the times. Among the artists are those who have already achieved significant accomplishments, alongside young artists with increasingly enriched creative backgrounds and international experiences, including art groups engaged in new forms of collective creation.

The current exhibition at Cotai Expo is a follow-up to the recent "Documental Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China," which ran at Sands Gallery in December 2023 and January 2024. It offered viewers 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.

Both exhibitions were curated by Professor Zhu Qingsheng, the art historian, art critic, and artist better known as LaoZhu. Besides being chief editor of Annual of Contemporary Art of China and president of the Comité International d'Histoire de I'Art (2016-2021), 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 head of the Chinese Modern Art Archive for 37 years, since 1986.

"Macao is China's gateway to the world, and it also serves as a stepping stone for Chinese contemporary art to the global stage," said Zhu. "We are literally showcasing the cultural achievements of China's economic reform to the world by hosting 'The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China' in Macao – a Special Administrative Region of China with an international art scene. With the goal of bringing Chinese contemporary art to an international audience, we need to fully express our own systematic theory, value judgment, and research achievements in a concrete and mature way – so that people with different artistic perspectives, cultures, and ideologies can understand the rationale behind each artwork."

Wednesday's opening ceremony was followed by a seminar, where artists were invited to participate in artistic exchanges with LaoZhu, MUST guest professor and renowned artist Ung Vai Meng, MUST professor Gu Yue, and others, in a discussion on the development of contemporary art education and creation in both Macao and the mainland.

The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China is part of Sands China's efforts to introduce a greater diversity of art exhibitions to Macao and promote the sustainable development of the local art and cultural industry. With its permanent art space, Sands Gallery, the company regularly invites artists – from local and regional art circles to internationally renowned figures – to host varied types of art exhibitions in Macao to enrich the art experiences of local residents and tourists.

Photo caption: Guests of honour officiate the grand opening of 'The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China 2022 (Macau China)' Wednesday at The Venetian Macao. Sands China's latest art exhibition showcases original works of 28 contemporary Chinese artists, free and open to the public Feb. 1-27, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily at Cotai Expo.

Left to right: Tan Wei, executive curator of the exhibition, and executive director of the Contemporary Art Archive at the Contemporary China Historical Materials Museum of Peking University; José Luís de Sales Marques, president of the Board of Directors of the Institute of European Studies of Macau; Zhu Qingsheng, curator of the exhibition, and professor of the Department of History 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; Bai Bing, director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd.; Ricky Hoi Io Meng, deputy director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; Ung Vai Meng, guest professor of Faculty of Humanities and Arts of the Macau University of Science and Technology; Gu Yue, executive curator of the exhibition, and professor of Faculty of Humanities and Arts of the Macau University of Science and Technology

Photo caption: Sands China's latest art exhibition – The Exhibition of Annual of Contemporary Art of China 2022 (Macau China) – showcases original works of 28 contemporary Chinese artists, free and open to the public Feb. 1-27, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily at Cotai Expo.