Photographer Chan Hin Io is showcasing 26 documentary photographs of Macau’s old quarters, shot between 2004 and 2021, in an exhibition titled “Neighbourhood – Documentary Photography Exhibition by Chan Hin Io” at Pátio da Eterna Felicidade.
Chan was born in Zhongshan in 1964. The city lies some 40 kilometres north of Macau.
Having lived in Macau since 1999, Chan has been photographing the city for over 20 years. A recent statement provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) noted that Chan “has captured innumerable documentary photographs of Macau’s life and society, historical structures and urban development, as well as streets and local traditions”.
The statement said that the main areas photographed were parts of the old town such as Rua dos Ervanários, Rua das Estalagens and Rua de Cinco de Outubro. Described in the statement as being a “real ‘old neighbourhood’ resident”, Chan has both lived and set up a studio in the community for over 10 years. The photographs in the exhibition reflect “the friendship, communion, close connection and trust between me and my neighbours in our daily lives”, Chan said in the statement.
Most of the works in the exhibition, the statement pointed out, are of classic roadside stalls, Chinese medicine stores and incense shops, among others. The statement also added that the works depict historic establishments’ inner and outer parts, the shopkeepers and workers’ traditional culture of dining together around tables in the stores, as well as their work.
Moreover, the works also show changes in Macau’s social and cultural scene, as well as both the “development and collapse of industries in the old city”, with the works also being the “embodiment of Macau’s urban memory, with significant aesthetic, historical and humanistic value”, according to the statement.
The exhibition runs until July 24 with free admission. However, owing to Macau’s current COVID-19 outbreak, the exhibition is closed until further notice. More information found at https://www.icm.gov.mo/en/.
These undated handout photos recently provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) show the pictures displayed at the “Neighbourhood – Documentary Photography Exhibition by Chan Hin Io”, as well as some photographs of the exhibition venue.
