The selected proposal for the “60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – Collateral Event from Macao, China”, organised by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), was announced. The exhibition proposal “Above Zobeide”, submitted by local curator Chang Chan and artist Wong Weng Cheong, was selected to represent Macao at the Biennale in Venice, Italy in April next year.
The open call for proposals aims to select the outstanding work to promote Macao’s contemporary art on the international stage. The adjudicating panel was comprised of the President of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Fan Bo; the Dean of School of Arts of Peking University, Peng Feng; the acclaimed art historian and professor of the Peking University, Zhu Qingsheng; renowned Macao artist, Wong Hou Sang; and the representative of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Director of MAM, Un Sio San. After two rounds of rigorous evaluation and interview, the exhibition proposal “Above Zobeide” was selected.
The selected proposal was inspired by the famous novel “Invisible Cities” by Italian writer Italo Calvino and was highly acclaimed by members of the jury for expressing concern over the development of human civilisation through an impressive desolate ambience, which reflects the intense anxiety of the era, showcases brilliant imagination, vision and originality, and echoes the theme of this edition of the biennale “Foreigners Everywhere”.
The winning team comprises Chang Chan, an independent curator who resides in Macao and London and obtained a master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Management from the King’s College London and has curated several exhibitions in both cities; and Wong Weng Cheong, a young Macao artist who obtained a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London, and is engaged in intermedia art. He specialises in creating immersive experiences through computer technologies including artificial intelligence and 3D graphics and has held solo exhibitions and participated in joint exhibitions in London, Kyoto and Macao.
Established in 1895, the “International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia” is the oldest biennale and largest international contemporary art exchange platform. In April 2024, the biennale is entering its 60th edition. Through the theme “Foreigners Everywhere”, the chief curator Adriano Pedrosa hopes to explore the concept of “foreigners” and pay attention to marginalized populations and the displacement of humanity. It has been the eighth time that MAM has organised participation in the Biennale held in Venice, Italy under the name of “Macao, China” since 2007. By organising the team’s participation in the next edition of this international event, IC hopes to continue to showcase the diverse charm of Macao’s contemporary art to the world.
