A Portuguese artistic showcase highlighting the country’s distinctive neo-realist works is now on at the Tap Seac Gallery as part of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has announced.
Curated by David Santos and José Maçãs de Carvalho, the Pavilion of Vila Franca de Xira: The Reinvention of the Real features paintings, photography, installations and videos created between 1999 and 2024 that are normally displayed at Portugal’s Museum of Neo-Realism.
The exhibition explores how contemporary Portuguese artists have critically reshaped reality through art, aligning with the Biennale’s central theme, “Hey, what brings you here?” Its namesake, Vila Franca de Xira, is a town on Portugal’s Tejo River that’s known for monuments related to bullfighting traditions as well as the Museum of Neo-Realism.
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The Pavilion of Vila Franca de Xira is part of Art Macao’s City Pavilion section, which was designed to reflect the government’s goal of positioning Macao as a hub for cultural exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
The exhibition was jointly organised by the Consulate General of Portugal in Macao and Hong Kong and the Cultural Affairs Bureau, with support from the Macao Government Tourism Office and the city’s six gaming concessionaires. It was produced in collaboration with the Instituto Português do Oriente (IPOR) and the Centre for Portuguese Culture and Language, initiated by the City Council of Vila Franca de Xira and the Museum of Neo-Realism.
This year’s Art Macao launched in July and offers a diverse programme of over 30 exhibitions being staged around the city. The main biennale runs until October, though the “Pavilion of Vila Franca de Xira” will be on until 16 November. Admission is free.
