Sands China Concludes Successful Participation at Art Central

Sands Gallery booth garners high international recognition
Macao’s emerging artists shine on global art stage
Extended activities engage community with firecracker seminar and art tour
Fostering cultural exchange between Macao and the world

(Macao, Mar 31, 2026) – Presented by Sands China, the Sands Gallery booth concluded successfully March 29 at Art Central, Hong Kong’s premier annual international art event. Throughout the five-day exhibition, the booth attracted strong interest from international gallery representatives, collectors, and artists, fostering cross-cultural exchanges centred on the works of three young Macao artists — Lei leng Wai, Leong Chi Mou, and Dor Lio Hak Man. Additionally, the booth featured a curated firecracker catalogue and a precious collection of original firecracker packaging labels from “A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers,” currently on view at Sands Gallery in Macao. The display captivated a wide international audience, demonstrating the global appeal of Macao’s cross-generational culture.

Sands Gallery’s participation in Art Central underscores its role as an international cultural portal for Macao. It not only leads Macao artists to shine on a global stage, but also highlights Macao’s rich cultural and artistic qualities, further enhancing the city’s international reputation and its influence in the field of arts and culture.

Sands China is the first integrated tourism and leisure enterprise in Macao invited to join Art Central as an Associate Partner. This year’s Art Central was the largest edition to date, bringing together 117 galleries and over 500 international artists, and attracting more than 40,000 visitors.

Since its establishment in 2022, Sands Gallery has consistently introduced international artworks to Macao, while providing a platform for Macao artists to showcase their works to an international audience. Such initiatives are designed to align with the Macao SAR government’s directives on diversified development and cultural tourism. The Sands Gallery booth at Art Central featured more than 40 artworks, including the representative works by the three Macao contemporary artists and the original Macao firecracker packaging labels. In addition, the company arranged extended activities — a seminar on firecracker aesthetics and guided art tours — to further foster art and cultural exchange between Macao and the world.

Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: “We are deeply honoured to join Art Central as Associate Partner, sincerely grateful to the organiser for their recognition and support in Sands Gallery. As a prominent platform in the global contemporary art scene, Art Central has provided a valuable opportunity for Sands Gallery to showcase Macao’s cultural depth and artistic vitality to the world; the ensuing recognition received from the international art industry, academia, and visitors is deeply meaningful and profoundly encouraging to us. We are delighted to see the works of Lei leng Wai, Leong Chi Mou, and Dor Lio Hak Man garnering such high acclaim from collectors, visitors, and media from all over the world, which has enabled them to broaden their international perspectives and networks, and also laid a robust foundation for their future international advancement in the global art scene.

“We also organised a seminar on firecracker aesthetics hosted by Professor Ung Vai Meng as an extended activity at Art Central, introducing Macao’s century-old cultural legacy to international audiences through dialogues and exchanges. In this way, we hope to inspire international visitors to further discover Macao’s history and heritage, strengthening the city’s position as a World Centre of Tourism and Leisure. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Macao SAR government and various sectors of society for their full support of Sands Gallery. Looking ahead, Sands China will continue to support the government’s economic diversification plan, while expanding international platforms for Macao artists. Through the power of arts and culture, we aspire to foster a more diverse, visionary future for Macao.”

Corey Andrew Barr, fair director of Art Central, said: “Sands China embodies a spirit of partnership that goes far beyond the conventional — building genuine pathways for the exchange of art and ideas between Macao and Hong Kong, rooted in a deep sense of shared heritage that binds our two cities like family. We are honoured to welcome Sands China as Associate Partner of Art Central, and to celebrate this relationship as one of our most meaningful.”

Artist Lei Ieng Wai, said: “I sincerely thank Sands Gallery for its dedicated efforts in broadening international horizons for Macao artists and providing us with valuable opportunities to showcase our work to an international audience. This exhibition has been tremendously constructive, enabling us to forge connections with international collectors and art institutions while laying an important foundation for Macao artists to enter the global market. I am deeply grateful to Sands China and looking forward to further opportunities to participate in international art events, continuing to showcase the creative strengths of Macao artists with the world.”

Artist Leong Chi Mou, said: “I am grateful to Sands China for fully supporting our participation in Art Central, which allowed us to engage with international galleries, curators and artists, and gain deeper insights into the preferences of global audiences and markets. This experience has been richly nourishing and has prompted me to reflect on how Macao’s art can further connect with the world. From participating in Art Macao’s collateral exhibition at Sands Gallery a few years ago to now standing together on this international stage through the gallery, I firmly believe that artistic strength nurtured by Sands Gallery will shine even more brightly on the world stage in the future.”

Artist Dor Lio Hak Man, said: “I would like to express my gratitude to Sands Gallery for facilitating my debut at Art Central. Beyond the opportunity to present my work, this has been a cherished learning experience that has fostered significant growth. I was deeply inspired and impressed by the creations and perspectives of global artists on this international art stage, which has led me to further contemplate my own creative direction. Art is an endless journey; this experience has strengthened my resolve to achieve my goals, which are to create more impactful artworks, and continue to capture life and spread warmth through art.”

French artist and collector Nicolas Deladerrière, who visited the booth, said: “It was truly refreshing to visit the Sands Gallery booth at Art Central. The collection is a brilliant cocktail of tradition and modernity — Macao’s artists exploring everyday life with a sharp wit, while seamlessly revisiting centuries of graphic heritage. The highlight for me was seeing those beautiful, vintage firecracker labels. Created in Macao over a century, they built the graphic imagery of our childhoods all over the world. Seeing the thoughtful juxtaposition of Macao’s history with the bold energy of these rising contemporary voices creates a powerful bridge between our past and the future of art that resonates with audiences across generations.”

Seminar extends century-old firecracker aesthetics to showcase Macao’s art and cultural heritage
To help international audiences better comprehend the aesthetic legacy of Macao’s century-old firecracker industry, Sands China invited distinguished Professor Ung Vai Meng of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at the Macau University of Science and Technology, who curated the firecracker exhibition at Sands Gallery in Macao, to deliver a seminar March 29 at Art Central. The seminar traced the development of the firecracker trade, focusing on the aesthetics emanating from the square-inch packaging paper, the folk symbolism and aesthetic trends behind the graphics, and how the packaging design responded to cross-cultural market demands.

The seminar was well received and sparked enthusiastic discussions on-site, connecting shared memories among audiences from Hong Kong and Macao through the genuine sharing of the speaker. The event also provided international audiences with a profound perspective into the industry’s history, aesthetics, and urban memory, deepening their understanding of the cultural significance and warmth of Macao’s firecracker heritage.

Participation in art tour connects the community
To broaden public engagement with art, Sands China specially arranged a guided tour at Art Central for representatives from four NGOs in Macao: the Fuhong Society of Macau, the Macau Special Olympics, the Noah Family Mutual Aid Association, and the Richmond Fellowship of Macau. Led by professionals from Art Central, participants visited the Sands Gallery booth and other exhibiting galleries, allowing NGO members to experience the international art event firsthand and enabling them to appreciate the power of diverse art and creativity, while paving the way to foster inclusion of art in the Macao community from a broader perspective.

Jennifer Chau, director of Fuhong Society of Macau, who participated in the art tour, said: “I would like to express my gratitude to Sands China for organising this art tour for NGOs. It provided us a valuable opportunity to appreciate the works of three Macao artists introduced by the Sands Gallery booth at Art Central, while also allowing us to visit other international galleries. This experience is a valuable source of inspiration, helping us gain a deeper understanding of international approaches to artistic expression and curatorial techniques, which is beneficial to the art development within our organisation. Looking ahead, we hope to foster more collaboration with Macao artists and jointly promote art inclusion. Together, we can further share the story of Macao and its art with the world.”

Photo caption: Presented by Sands China, the Sands Gallery booth concluded successfully March 29 at Art Central, Hong Kong’s premier annual international art event. Sands Gallery’s participation in Art Central underscores its role as an international cultural portal for Macao. It not only leads Macao artists to shine on the global stage, but also highlights Macao’s rich cultural and artistic qualities, further enhancing the city’s international reputation and its influence in the field. This year’s Art Central was the largest edition to date, bringing together 117 galleries and over 500 international artists, attracting more than 40,000 visitors.

Photo caption: Throughout the five-day exhibition, the Sands Gallery booth attracted strong interest from international gallery representatives, collectors, and artists, fostering cross-cultural exchanges centred on the works of three young Macao artists — Lei leng Wai, Leong Chi Mou, and Dor Lio Hak Man.

Photo caption: The Sands Gallery booth also featured a curated firecracker catalogue and a precious collection of original firecracker packaging labels from “A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers,” currently on view at Sands Gallery in Macao. The display captivated a wide international audience, demonstrating the global appeal of Macao’s cross-generational culture.

Photo caption: Sands China invited distinguished Professor Ung Vai Meng of the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at the Macau University of Science and Technology, who curated the firecracker exhibition at Sands Gallery in Macao, to deliver a seminar March 29 at Art Central. The seminar traced the development of the firecracker trade, focusing on the aesthetics emanating from the square-inch packaging paper, the folk symbolism and aesthetic trends behind the graphics, and how the packaging design responded to cross-cultural market demands.

Photo caption:Sands China specially arranged a guided tour at Art Central for representatives from four NGOs in Macao: Fuhong Society of Macau, Macau Special Olympics, the Noah Family Mutual Aid Association, and the Richmond Fellowship of Macau. Led by professionals from Art Central, participants visited the Sands Gallery booth and other exhibiting galleries, allowing NGO members to experience the international art event firsthand and enabling them to appreciate the power of diverse art and creativity, while paving the way to foster inclusion of art in the Macao community from a broader perspective.