Organised by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the exhibition “Zhao Zhao: A Long Day”, the first solo exhibition of Chinese contemporary artist Zhao Zhao in Macao, will be held from 26 August to 30 October, on the first and second floors of MAM. Taking “A Long Day” as the thread of time and space, curator Cui Cancan has selected 82 pieces/sets of the most important works from Zhao Zhao’s artistic career spanning from 2006, including paintings, installations, sculptures and studies on ancient culture. Time, space and epochal topics constantly explored by the artist are linked together in the exhibition to give visitors a glimpse into the artist’s unique artistic ideas, novel creative methods and diverse media applications.
Honoured by the Modern Painters as one of the “25 Artists to Watch in 2014” worldwide and recognised with the Artist of the Year Award at the 13th Award of Art China (AAC) in 2019, Zhao Zhao is a representative figure among the new generation of Chinese contemporary artists. In his works, Zhao Zhao reconnects the Chinese historical tradition across time and space, the ongoing contemporary reality and the ever-changing artistic trends; through a combination of contemporary artistic expressions and traditional cultural essence, he has created his own unique artistic style and working method, which touches upon human life in the current global environment and our reality in modern society while also demonstrating his attitude toward the coexistence of collectivism and individual ideals. This exhibition focuses on showcasing Zhao Zhao’s artistic creations with cultural characteristics, hoping to present a new panorama of Chinese contemporary art in Macao, an East-meets-West city.
In order to enhance the public’s understanding of the exhibits, a number of outreach activities will be held during the exhibition period, including guided tours on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays starting from 3 September, as well as sharing sessions, symposiums, online guided tours and family activities. For more information, please visit the MAM website at www.MAM.gov.mo. MAM is open daily from 10am to 7pm (no admission after 6:30pm), including on public holidays, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. To cooperate with the SAR government’s pandemic prevention efforts, all visitors are required to wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a “Venue QR Code” and “Macao Health Code” of the day, and comply with the anti-pandemic and crowd control measures on site.
Images of exhibits:
1) Spread makes its debut at this exhibition, in which precise squares, triangles and ovals are ignited amid white cotton, spreading and burning before becoming dark ashes.
2) Chinese Ladder is made of marble instead of conventional bamboo, representing eternal, pristine and immortal ladders to heaven.
3) Control symbolises worldly desires of mankind through the gourds made of white marble, inviting visitors to reflect upon the growth of gourds under factitious control.