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The art of missing

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Missing someone or something is among one of the most heart-wrenching feelings one can experience. And for those who are not living in their native countries, it is not uncommon for them to miss their homeland from time to time. A new art exhibition “Saudade” that was launched at the L2 Showcase of MGM Macau by the resort in collaboration with Art for All Society yesterday has provided twelve Portuguese artists who are currently living in Macau with the opportunity to express the feeling of “saudade” – roughly translated as missing.

 

José Drummond, curator of the exhibition, describes “saudade” as “a deep emotional state of nostalgic and melancholic longing for an absence of something or someone that one loves”. “In this exhibition the artists acknowledge the memory of their own roots, while, at the same time, they relate and assume their sense of community and belonging to the place that welcomed them – embracing and integrating them as a vibrant part of the city of Macau”, he says.

 

MGM Co-chairperson and Executive Director Pansy Ho says that the exhibition brings diversified arts to the Macau community and helps to bridge exchanges among different cultures. “[MGM embraces] the deep cultural roots, unique history and heritage with China and Portugal that Macau encompasses… we believe that art is the spiritual pillar of cultural diversity and social sustainability, a key element to help develop Macau into a world tourism and leisure centre”, she says.

 

CLOSER also talks to two artists, Joaquim Franco and Carmo Correia, who participated in the exhibition. Joaquim Franco has been living in Macau for 25 years. He says that he misses the people, friends and places of Portugal and asks people to see his abstract paintings in the exhibition to understand what he wants to express through the colours, lines and forms on his paintings.

 

Another artists Carmo Correia, who has been in Macau for 15 years, expresses the feeling of “saudade” through her photographic pieces. The photos that he picked for the exhibition are actually a part of a larger project that seeks to record the Portuguese presence throughout Asia. She says that the objects in the photos are the remains of Portuguese influence in Asian countries, including architecture, costumes and festivities.

 

The exhibition is open 24/7 until September 30 this year. Guided tours are available on the weekdays between 12pm and 9 pm and weekends between 11 am and 9 pm.

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