Camy Tam
An exhibition entitled “Connectivities: Living beyond the boundaries – Macau and the Greater Bay Area”, which is part of the series about the “17th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia – Collateral Event from Macau, China”, is being held at the Taipa Houses.
The exhibition is organised by the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) and the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) in conjunction with the Architects Association of Macau (AAM).
According to a statement on the MAM website, the “17th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia – Exhibits from Macau, China” opened to the public on May 22 in Venice, presenting the relationship between architecture, land reclamation, collective memory and urban life from multiple perspectives, offering visitors from different parts of the world a picture of the cross-border life in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA-GHKM), and exploring the infinite possibilities of “Connectivities”.
The statement points out that this year marks the fourth year for local architects to participate in the world-famous event in Venice. The exhibition team comprises the curator, Carlos Marreiros (馬若龍), and four young local architects – Chan Ka Tat (陳嘉達), Che Chi Hong (謝智康), Lao Man Si (劉敏詩) and Ho Ting Fong (何庭芳).
In response to the theme of the Biennale “How will we live together?”, the team showcases four works of different styles: “Connected”(連接通道) by Chan Ka Tat, “Connectivity is from point to point!”(連繫始於點) by Che Chi Hong, “Boundary Verticalisation – the Collision of Two Different Urban Systems” (邊界垂直化 – 兩組不同的城市系統碰撞) by Ho Ting Fong, and “Coexistence”(共融) by Lao Man Si, in a bid to give an overview of the future urban landscape of Macau and to reflect on the symbiosis and challenges arising from the in-depth integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to the statement.
The exhibition at the “Nostalgic House” in Taipa showcases work by Che Chi Hong themed “Connectivity is from point to point!” (連繫始於點). Since China’s reform and opening-up policies, and especially after the return of Hong Kong and Macau to the motherland, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau (GHKM) cooperation has continued to deepen and strengthen. The economic strength and the regional competitiveness of the Greater Bay Area-GHKM have both significantly increased, obtaining the basic conditions for a world-class bay area and urban agglomerations. Each region has its own advantages. For example, Hong Kong has an international shipping centre, Guangzhou has become one of the leading financial regions in the world, Shenzhen is an important port, and Macau is a world tourism and leisure centre and the exchange platform for China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries, the statement said.
Through the deepening of cooperation and the formation of a transportation system between the districts, each district can complement one another, and the cultural characteristics of Macau, Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland are integrated in this installation to reflect the advantages of each region. The basic characteristics of each district are briefly expressed through data, images, and text. A multi-layered and comprehensive design is formed, the statement underlined.
The Belt and Road (B&R) construction has been further promoted in order to enhance the international interaction of the Greater Bay Area-GHKM; meanwhile, the higher levels of participation in international cooperation and competition have created new space, innovative development has injected new vitality, and cooperation and development in the Greater Bay Area all have created new opportunities. The installation in the centre of the exhibition hall is in the form of integration, realising the vision of high-level interconnection in the Greater Bay Area market by using complex curves to represent the challenges faced by the Bay Area, while the asymmetrical structure is to express imbalance and contradiction between supply and demand. The designs centre on the same goal, giving full play to regional comparative advantages, strengthening policy coordination and planning convergence, optimising the functional layout of the region, promoting coordinated development of urban and rural areas in the region, and continuously enhancing the integrity of development, the statement pointed out.
Che was born in Macau and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Huaqiao University (HQU) in Fujian province. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree focusing on the relationship between geographical factors and transitional space (grey space – 灰空間). Che works for CAA City Planning & Engineering Consultants Ltd. (CAA) (新域城市規劃暨工程顧問有限公司) in Macau as an architect with eight years of professional experience. He is a member of the Architects Association of Macau (AAM). Che has cooperated with António Eurico, the architecture award winner in Macau, in a renovation project of the façade for the Sheng Kung Hui Taipa Youth and Family Integrated Service Centre (聖公會氹仔青少年及家庭綜合服務中心). He has also been involved in a number of local projects such as for the Post Office and the Housing Bureau (IH), a public tender for the Macau New Urban Zone A, the expansion projects of Kao Ip Secondary School (澳門教業中學) and Pui Ching Middle School (培正中學), the maintenance design of the Gate of Understanding (融和門), a design consultancy project in maintenance design for commercial buildings in Largo do São Domingos, according to the statement.
The exhibition runs until September 24 at the Nostalgic House of the Taipa Houses in Avenida da Praia, Carmo Zone, Taipa. It opens from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Mondays (no admittance after 6:30 p.m.). Admission is free.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 epidemic prevention measures, all visitors entering the venue must wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a digital health code.
For details, visit http://www.mam.gov.mo/e/exhibition.
Photos: Camy Tam
