A total of 21 photographs by Jessie Rao Yongxia are on display in her latest exhibition titled “Nomadic Time: An introduction”, which kicked off earlier this week at Albergue SCM* on Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro (瘋慊閨眷) as part of the 14th Macau Literary Festival.
Rao is a disciple of photographer Wang Zhengpeng, a lensman from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region who is also showcasing his works** during this year’s festival. She is noted in João Miguel Barros’ curator statement at the exhibition venue as being one of Wang’s “most distinguished disciples” and has earned accolades and recognition in the Chinese photography community.
The photos presented at the exhibition, the third and final one launched for this year’s festival, feature the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and glimpses of its people and the life there at different times and seasons. The photos were taken during repeated visits, with Rao telling the Post during the opening ceremony that the project was shot over a 10-year period and continues to be connected with the current time. Through this exhibition, Rao said she hopes to express the differences in situations, atmosphere and people in Inner Mongolia, wanting to show something beyond the homes there and the ordinary.
Among the 21 photos on display, Rao said that her favourite is one she took of a woman surrounded by goats, a moment of spontaneity that she said she was “very, very lucky” to have captured. Rao noted that she thinks this particular photo is both “iconic” and difficult to take, adding: “It’s not something that you can arrange”.
On what is hoped to be achieved during its run, Rao noted that the exhibition organisers aim to introduce the event to members of the public, adding that they hope to invite them to come there and see “the real Inner Mongolia, the real grassland”.
One can admire Rao’s works until April 10, with the venue open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and from noon to 8 p.m. the remainder of the week. Admission is free.
Celebration continues
The multi-venue 14th Macau Literary Festival will continue through Sunday, with screenings, talks, a concert and a dinner among the activities to be on offer in the coming days.
For tonight, two activities will be held at the Portuguese Consulate Auditorium, namely a Portuguese-language talk entitled “Portugal at a Crossroads: The Priorities for the 21st Century” by António Costa Silva at 6:30 p.m., which will be followed by a film screening at 9 p.m. of Luís Filipe Rocha’s “Signs of Fire”, which will be in Portuguese with English subtitles.
Tomorrow will see talks and a book launch at the Former Barra Slaughterhouse Site. For more details, visit: https://www.facebook.com/macaulitfest
*SCM stands for Santa Casa da Misericórdia (“Holy House of Mercy”), Macau’s oldest charitable organisation.
**Wang’s works are showcased in an exhibition entitled “The Wind Blows Through the Grassland” at the free-admission Tap Seac Gallery until April 30.
– Photos: Rui Pastorin
