Sands China exhibition pays tribute to Macau’s firecracker industry

Interview by Rui Pastorin

        Macau’s days of firecracker manufacturing may have long passed, but the history and memory of an industry that had once been among the city’s most important has not been forgotten. Now, its storied legacy continues to be honoured with a large dedicated exhibition at Sands Gallery in Cotai.

Lining the walls of different sections of the gallery are hundreds of well-preserved colourful firecracker labels from different brands, along with a showcase of related documents including receipts and ledgers. Gallerygoers will also get to learn more about the development of what was once a booming local industry, alongside the craftsmanship and manufacturing processes that were behind it through exhibits including tools.

In all, “A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers” showcases over 400 exhibits. Integrated resort operator Sands China presents all of these in collaboration with the private Macau University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) Library and Faculty of Humanities and Arts, with its collection being where most of the exhibits come from.

At the helm of its curation is veteran Macau artist and Distinguished Professor at MUST, Guilherme Ung Vai Meng, who told the Post during Wednesday’s opening that the exhibition took over two years to prepare. “This is the first time that we assembled all the materials including photos, labels, documents, association member cards and firecracker-making tools”, he said, emphasising the past firecracker industry as one of the most important crafts in Macau that was a part of the lives and memories of its citizens, a “collective memory for the whole society”.

While the exhibition was no easy task to put together, the passion from those involved for both the story of local firecrackers and its history are evident as drivers for its creation. And for Ung, who held senior positions including as first director of the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) and former president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), he found that he personally had a fondness for collecting firecracker-related Macau memorabilia while he was studying fine art with a master at Rua das Estalagens, where a lot of antique and second-hand items including books and furniture were sold.

After finishing his lessons with the old master, Ung would go around the area in search of something interesting to buy and take home. “I began to collect the labels, posters, postcards, day by day”, he said, eventually thinking how these could be useful for researchers. “Now, I have the chance to organise this exhibition. I am very happy to see my dream realised”, said Ung.

The exhibition is running for five months until August 31.

Ung said he hopes members of the public will have something to take away from the exhibition. For seniors and the older generation of Macau people, he hopes that the exhibition will be able to help them look back at the past. Meanwhile, for the younger generation, it can provide a glimpse into the city’s past. Younger artists and designers may even get ideas and inspirations from the unique aesthetics of the items being exhibited.

Concluding his remarks to the Post, Ung emphasised he hopes that people visiting the gallery can appreciate the memory and craft of yesteryear’s local firecracker industry. But more than that, he pointed out: “Macau still has a lot of treasures to be discovered. So, a lot of stories, memories. We have to find them and show them all”.

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Exhibition curator, veteran artist and Distinguished Professor Guilherme Ung Vai Meng poses during an interview with the Post during the opening ceremony for “A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers” on Wednesday. – Photos: Rui Pastorin