MACAUCLOSER 2024 Photography Competition
Recently, Macau CLOSER, in partnership with Halftone photography magazine, the Portuguese Bookshop and the Macau Literary Festival, organized our fourth annual photo competition.
This year is the 500th anniversary of the birth of famous Portuguese poet Luis Camões, who is believed to have lived part of his life here in Macau.
More important than knowing whether or not Camões was in Macau, is understanding if his presence is still visible here in the city today, and if so, where.
Thus, this year’s photo competition was entitled “Camões: Myth or Reality” and looks for answers in some of the verses that immortalized him.
“Love is a wound that hurts yet isn’t felt”
“My song shall spread where ever there are men”
“If wit and art will so much guide my pen”
“Times change, as do our wills”
This year’s competition invited Macau-based photographers to submit a photo or series of photos that represents the presence of Camões in modern Macau, either his physical presence or metaphorically through the words of his poems. Entrants were asked to present an image of the city that symbolizes or reflects the theme of the competition, as they viewed it.
We are pleased to present the winners of this competition in this issue. Thanks to all the participants for their creative submissions!
PRIZES
1st Prize Single Photo – António Leong
“The Sakura Poet”
Poems, words that are dancing like butterflies in a beautiful flower field.
2nd Prize Single Photo – Joana Freitas
“A Pena”
The poet says “that times change”, and so do our wills. For the last 25 years, in Taipa (Macau, China) a statue of Luís Vaz de Camões has been a lonely witness of times changing. But nestled in that garden in the Carmo area, the poet stands sculpted by the hands of Macau Chinese artist Wong Ka Long, in his own version, drawing tourists, curious residents, history buffs, casual onlookers and those longing for home. And, every time they walk by, the poet gets to be known, remembered, listened to – over and over again. As promised, him and his feather have kept their word – that their “song shall spread where ever there are men, If wit and art will so much guide my pen.”
Picture taken in June 2024, on a rainy day
1st Prize Series – Nicholas Mok
This series of photo creations is inspired by the fact that Camões once left his mark on the land of Macau. The collection includes scenes from daily life beneath the commemorative statue of Camões in Camões Garden. Through these images, we glimpse the immortal lines from Camões’ poetry. It’s as if someone is singing, resonating in every corner, while others use their imagination to conjure something magical. Some even balance life’s spaces through yoga movements! Additionally, there’s exploration within the gardens of the Macau Government Headquarters building, where a couple’s gaze evokes one of Camões’ poetic lines: “Love is a wound that hurts but remains unfelt!” The photographs also capture a woman lost in thought, reminiscent of past moments.
2nd Prize Series – KUANG ZIYANG
《Breath of White》
The “Breath of White” is a poetic leap by Jammes, a kind of poetics that stems from the留白 (blank space) of the scene. When I was doing portrait photography, I wanted to try not making the subject’s eyes the first point of focus from the beginning, so I created this series of photos, inspired by my friend and the faded poetry collection at hand.
