CHIEF CURATOR’S NOTE
“Hey, what brings you here?” is an informal and simple everyday expression used to inquire about the reason and purpose of a visit. When used in a friendly context, it often conveys greetings or curiosity and interest in the visitor; otherwise, it may suggest an unwelcoming attitude or even indifferent refusal.
Taking this question as the theme, the “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025” aims to explore and address the history and memories of Macao as well as its actual situation against the current backdrop of globalization. The theme can also be directly associated with the ultimate questions of “Who am I? Where did I come from, and where am I going?”
We live in an era when distant voyages are no longer a prominent topic. The impeded and redirected globalization, the divides caused by geopolitics, and the accelerating cultural cold wars have led to a rampant rise of narrow conservatism, nationalism, and populism, diminishing our curiosity for foreign lands. The limited perspective resulting from the historical cycles fosters isolation and involution. For example, the ongoing trade war has increasingly reduced us to a state of segregation and alienation. Contemporary art has also been stuck in unprecedented dual challenges and dilemmas, making the need to pursue new breakthroughs and shared paths for development all the more urgent. Navigating the ebbs and flows of development, contemporary art is constantly resetting and adapting to the complexities of “globalization and locality” based on the changes of the times.
The present epoch, filled with unknowns, is unlike any before. We need to take these uncertainties as a guiding thread, posing questions to arrive at various answers and seeking interconnected pathways, supports, and resolutions within. Or when confronted with the forceful emergence of digital existence in an Internet-based culture and the artificial intelligence era, it is even more important for us to keep evolving our thoughts, perceptions, and awareness of them. This question-oriented curatorial concept is therefore a way of exploring questions proactively and artistically, manifesting self-judgement, choices, and expressions in exploring the meaning, value, and responsibility of life.
By posing such a profound question against this background, we may perceive the dramatic change in the flow and temperature of the times more sensitively than ever. When conceiving the Main Exhibition, we hope to present the creative works of the 46 invited artists through connected spatial arrangements, embedded structures, and folded forms, initiating a dialogue of differentiation between self and others across different fields under the theme of the Macao International Art Biennale this year. This will allow us to explore and identify the contemporary culture and art of Macao by transcending geographical boundaries and barriers of cultural identity.
Hearing the sound of footsteps at the door, we open it to a bright vista which allows us to witness the growth of all things. Through travel, visits, art, cultural exchange, and encounters that blossom into friendships, we revive the splendor of diverse cultures in Art Macao together!
FENG BOYI
Chief Curator