For many, visual art is usually associated with museums or high culture. But art knows no limits, and true artists can create inspiring pieces anywhere they like, including on the walls of the city. The Macau Powers of Arts to Inspire Intelligence Association understands this idea, and recently organized the first ever Macau Graffiti Festival.
Taking place between January 11 and 16, the Festival aimed to promote a better understanding of graffiti art among local residents, organizations and students. It involved activities such as graffiti painting sessions at multiple locations across Macau, as well as a lecture on the art of graffiti. The organizers believe that the Festival can change the image of graffiti art, which is sometimes associated with crime or other negative social issues.
Chong Coc Veng, president of the Association, says local residents reacted very postively to the Festival and it was “a good start”. He also believes that people “like graffiti because of the amount of vibrant colours involved”.
In order to present some of the best graffiti works, the Association partnered with the Italian urban arts studio Truly Design, and invited the crew from the studio to share their talents and creations in Macau. The artists met students from local schools and enjoyed working on their murals in the park on Rua das Estalagens.