Portuguese architect and photography enthusiast Francisco Ricarte is showcasing 20 of his pictures in an exhibition titled “EmCasa” or “Homeland” at the Gallery of the Official Residence of the Consul General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong on Rua do Comendador Kou Ho Neng.
Directly translated, “em casa” means “at home”.
Organised by the “Casa de Portugal em Macau” (“Portugal’s Home in Macau”) community association, the exhibition was inaugurated yesterday.
Ricarte told The Macau Post Daily in an exclusive interview at the gallery that the aim and purpose of the exhibition was mainly “to show something about Portugal” to the public. However, he added that the exhibition does not only show pictures of Portugal per se but also his views and feelings about certain areas of his homeland where he feels “very good and at home”, which led to the exhibition’s title.
He also described the places where he took the pictures as giving him the chance to feel well-balanced in “what I see, what is there and what I can apprehend from those places.” Ricarte also said that “it’s kind of a balance between nature and human nature”, adding that what he tried to do was to strike a balance between nature as it is and the human balance through man-made things in nature such as tracks and pathways.
Meanwhile, Ricarte noted that photography means a lot to him, having been interested in it since he was young. He underlined that he has had the opportunity to prepare for, and take part in photo exhibitions in Macau, making it “quite [an] overwhelming year of having the opportunity to show” different kinds of photos, approaches, and subject matter that he cares about in photography.
With photography as his way of expression, Ricarte said, “I feel very good about taking these photos, they are always an opportunity to reflect about things. It’s as I used to say: It’s not about places, but it’s about the way I feel by looking at those places that drives me into photography”.
The gallery is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. The exhibition is open to the public until December 16.
Francisco Ricarte (right), standing next to Consul General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong Paulo Cunha Alves, gestures during yesterday’s opening ceremony at the consul-general’s official residence on Penha Hill.
Photos taken yesterday by Rui Pastorin
