The Mandarin Oriental, Macau celebrated its 15th anniversary at its present location with the launch last night of Modern Vision, Timeless Technique. The contemporary Chinese art exhibition features the works of local female artists Leong Kit Man and Tsang Tseng Tseng.
Scheduled to run in the hotel’s lobby and Lobby Lounge until 31 August, the exhibition showcases artworks that are influenced by traditional Chinese techniques and modern aesthetics.
A total of 15 pieces have been put on display, aligning with the 15th anniversary, with organisers drawing parallels between the art and the Mandarin Oriental’s ability to blend traditional and modern elements in the area of hospitality.
In a speech delivered during the opening, the exhibition’s curator and the president of the Art For All Society (AFA), Alice Kok, said that even though the artistic journeys of the two artists were “distinct,” they remained linked by their “profound connection to the rich tradition of Chinese painting.”
“Ms Leong’s art embodies the precision and emotional resonance of brush character [or] ‘brush sentiment,’” Kok said in her speech, referring to a term in Chinese art used to denote the expressive power that can come from mastery of brushwork.
[See more: ‘How was it?’ Mandarin Oriental, Macau]
“Ms Tsang’s artwork explores the inherent qualities and expressive vitality of ‘ink character,’” she added, denoting the ability of an artist to extract emotional impact from the medium itself.
Other speakers included the general manager of the Mandarin Oriental, Macau, Franck Droin, who said the exhibition’s impact extended beyond showcasing works of art.
“We have those paintings and people go through the lobby. They stop and they look and emotions are created,” he pointed out. “I’m pretty sure they leave Macao, not with an empty suitcase, but [feelings] full of emotion.”
Guests at the opening were meanwhile treated to canapés created by Giulioantonio Di Sabato, the hotel’s executive chef, who took inspiration for his culinary creations from the artworks themselves as well as the hotel’s “commitment to sustainability and affinity for Asian traditions.”
A number of VIP guests took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony, including the deputy director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Macau Liaison Office, Xu Dongjie; the acting director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Cheng Wai Tong; the acting dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Macao Polytechnic University, Lai Kei Mei, and Catarina Cottinelli of the Orient Foundation.
Macao News is the co-organiser and official media partner of the exhibition.
