Just as art knows no boundaries, it seems there is no limit when it comes to exhibition venues too. Organized by SOCIL Cultural Development and Management Company Limited (SOCIL Cultural) and co-organized by Poly Auction Macau Limited, the second “6075 Macau Hotel Art Fair” will take place between November 24 and 27, featuring 38 galleries and art organizations, and 60 artists from Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mainland China, Korea, Myanmar, and Malaysia, bringing their best selected art works to be displayed in the rooms of the Regency Art Hotel.
Sabrina Ho Chiu Yeng, the soul of the “6075”, is one of the founders of SOCIL Cultural. After visiting numerous exhibitions all over the globe, she is convinced that “art exhibitions do not necessarily have to take place in galleries or museums”. Instead, Sabrina believes that by having the exhibition take place inside hotel rooms, visitors can better enjoy the art pieces because they have the space for themselves.
The reason this art fair is named “6075” is because its major focus is on the art works of 60 artists born after 1975. The second edition of “6075” will continue with its “Special Project” sector by collaborating with the China Academy of Art, this time presenting creative works by five young artists to encourage academic interaction. The Second “6075” is also supported by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau.
The fair will launch a brand new sector this year – “Special Discovery” – dedicated to photography and video work by emerging artists.
THE BLENDING OF ARTS AND BUSINESS
Being held in the Regency Art Hotel in Taipa, Sabrina believes the event is an excellent opportunity to combine art with business.
“Our family owns a lot of hotels and has just acquired this one, which is in the need of revamping and rebranding,” she explains.
“Macau is not short of luxurious hotels. We have almost every type of hotel here. The one that is missing is an art hotel. I think (hosting an art exhibition in a hotel) is a win-win situation.”
As well as being a serious art lover herself, Sabrina also has a formidable business background. As a result, when she was communicating with the artists who participated in the first “6075”, Sabrina was honest about both her identities, as well as her idea of associating business with the promotion of arts.
Instead of focusing solely on revenue generated through art sales, Sabrina is more concerned about the long-term benefits of successfully combining business and art.
“’6075’ is not merely a hotel art fair, it also includes elements like tourism and art promotion. Having an art fair in a hotel means guests are more willing to stay here, and it can attract more guests from other countries as well. After all, a hotel has to provide more than just comfortable accommodation. Other facilities and amenities are important too.”
Moreover, the “6075” organizer believes it is important to bond with the visiting overseas artists so that they will have a good impression of Macau, and will be willing to bring their creative works to the city in the future.
“Maybe the artist only comes to Macau once a year for the ‘6075’. But after the event, they may grow to love our architecture, culture and special food, and will be more interested in joining other art exhibitions and events here,” she adds.
Sabrina thinks now is a critical moment to promote art in Macau and hopes that the local art community can join hands in advancing local artists to the next level.
“We can’t host only local artists. If we want to attract a broader audience, we have to have an international vision and invite foreign artists so that art pieces from Macau and abroad can be exhibited side by side, which benefits the development of local artists.”
Regarding the future development of “6075”, Sabrina reveals that she and her team are striving to push the hotel art fair to an international level, with Asia as their primary target.
“Currently, there are several investors who have expressed an interest in collaborating with us. We are also exploring the possibility of rolling out ‘6075 Hong Kong’ and ‘6075 Taiwan’. We hope to achieve a better result this year and to further advance towards our goal.”
With such an ambitious goal, Sabrina laments that “even 24 hours a day is not enough” to get everything done. But she encourages herself with the lessons and example of her parents, Dr Stanley Ho and Ms Angela Leong.
“If I want to be as successful as my parents, I have to be just like them: working non-stop, always discovering new ideas and learning new things in order to constantly improve myself”.
