The “Members Joint Exhibition of the 40th Anniversary of CAC – Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau” opened yesterday evening at Albergue SCM in S. Lázaro district, coinciding with the association’s annual Mid-Autumn Festival bash “Celebration of the Moon – Mid-Autumn Festival 2025”, drawing artists, residents, and guests to a night of art, music, and partying.
Organised by CAC (“Circle of the Friends of Macau’s Culture”) in conjunction with the public Macao Foundation, the event marked four decades of CAC’s contributions to Macau’s cultural and artistic landscape.
Founded in 1985 by Carlos Marreiros, Mio Pang Fei, Kwok Woon, Un Chi Lam, Guilherme Ung Vai Meng, and Victor Marreiros, CAC has been a driving force in promoting local arts, architecture, and heritage conservation through exhibitions, seminars, and exchanges with non-local artists, according to a CAC statement yesterday.
The exhibition features works by CAC’s founding and current members, including paintings, photography, and video installations that reflect the evolution of Macau’s artistic community. Guests also tasted traditional Mid-Autumn Festival snacks, watched a live-band performance, and calligraphy demonstrations in front of the SCM Gallery* by the Macau Women Calligraphers, Painters and Sculptors Association, celebrating the festival’s cultural richness
Speaking to the Post, Carlos Marreiros, the CAC president and founding member said that the celebration was more than an art event – it was about community and continuity. “We celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival every year with the people of this district of São Lázaro. It’s open to everyone,” he said, noting the mix of residents and visitors who joined the evening’s festivities.
Reflecting on CAC’s legacy, Marreiros said that the association began as a bold new voice in Macau’s art scene. “Forty years ago, we were very avant-garde. Macau art was very conservative at that time,” he said. “We renovated the idea of local arts and were accepted all around Asia—from Japan to Bangladesh, to Singapore, the Philippines, and beyond.”
With over 80 active members today, CAC aims to continue to shape Macau’s modern art scene while honouring its heritage, Marreiros said, adding that the exhibition at Albergue SCM remains open to the public with free admission, inviting exhibitiongoers and guests to explore four decades of creative expression and cultural exchanges under the glow of the autumn moon.
*SCM stands for Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy), Macau’s oldest charitable organisation
Under the watchful eyes of art lovers, calligraphers and other artists demonstrate their talent during the “Celebrating the Moon – Mid-Autumn Festival 2025” bash outside the Albergue SCM Gallery in S. Lázaro district. – Photo: Khalel Vallo
