Regarding the recent gouge on the Mandarin’s House wall, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian told reporters yesterday that her bureau has been gathering ideas from citizens on how to prevent further damage to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mandarin’s House.
Mok made the remarks yesterday on the sidelines of a press conference for this year’s “Art Macao” event at the Macau Cultural Centre in Nape.
According to Mok, the damaged exterior wall is currently undergoing repairs, adding that the case has been transferred to the police because of which she could not disclose any details about how and why the gouge was made. She pointed out that she’s aware that some citizens have suggested adding an extra layer to that wall. However, she noted that the road next to the wall is “very narrow” so that an extra layer would further affect vehicular traffic in the area.
Mok said that outside the Mandarin’s House there are road signs and road bumps to prevent vehicles from damaging the heritage site but her bureau would continue to listen to residents’ views on how to protect its historical architecture.
Meanwhile, Mok also said that UNESCO has been talking to the local government, pointing out that the Paris-based organisation was willing to improve education and promotion work on how to protect Macau’s heritage properties. She added that regarding the height limits for buildings around the Guia Lighthouse, her bureau has been discussing the matter with the relevant government entities.
‘Art Macao’
According to an IC statement provided during the press conference, this year’s edition of “Art Macao” is divided into several sections: Main Exhibition, Selected Works by Local Artists and Collateral Exhibition, featuring 30 art exhibitions in 25 locations, aiming to bring an “immersive cultural atmosphere to the entire city as a gallery and an art garden, and presenting a movable feast of the city”.
The statement said that this year’s title is “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021”, themed “To Create for Wellbeing”, adding that the art-fest will be displaying six public artworks in various districts, showing creations of artists from the mainland, Argentina, Egypt, Italy, and Thailand. The statement said that the government will spend eight million patacas on this year’s event.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian talks to reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference about “Art Macao”, at the Macau Cultural Centre in Nape. Photo: Prisca Tang
