The 16th edition of the AFA Autumn Salon is taking place at Casa Garden until December 7, marking its return to the venue* and showcasing the works of a number of participating artists from or based in Macau.
Themed “Own Our City, Own Our Art”, the exhibition is organised by the Art For All Society (AFA) in conjunction with Lisbon-based Fundação Oriente (“Orient Foundation”), which has its local headquarters at Casa Garden.
From various styles of paintings and photography to sculptures and mixed media, exhibitiongoers will find a number of works displayed throughout the venue’s exhibition hall and its basement level, all curated by local artists Leong Kitman and Julia Lam Tsz Kwan, who are also exhibiting works.
Around 100 works by 50 artists are on display, chosen by Orient Foundation Macau Delegation Director Catarina Cottinelli da Costa and the curatorial team during an open call for submissions and a series of invitations, each capturing the “pulse of contemporary urban life”, according to a recent curators’ statement.
Among the exhibits are also a number of works by Bowie Lio Pou I, who was the winner of the Orient Foundation Art Award 2024. The local artist mainly works with ceramics, with her art tackling themes of the human body and nature. Her works are being showcased in “The Whims of Creation” solo exhibition within the AFA Autumn Salon, with one able to find them at the basement alongside more works by other artists.
The curator’s statement highlighted that the award that Lio won “not only recognises artistic potential but also serves as a crucial springboard, propelling rising stars from the Macau art scene onto the international stage and fostering a vibrant dialogue between local and global creative currents”.
The curators also noted that the exhibition is “driven by contemporary interpretation, with visual transformation forming the very soul of the artistic endeavour”, adding that it is the artists’ creativity and dedication that define the Autumn Salon as a landmark annual event.
One can visit the Casa Garden from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and public holidays.
*Last year’s AFA Autumn Salon was held at The Parisian Macao in Cotai.
Photos: Rui Pastorin
