Rui Pastorin in Hong Kong
Macau integrated resort operator Sands China launched their Sands Gallery booth at Art Central in Hong Kong yesterday, presenting the works of Macau artists Leong Chi Mou, Lei Ieng Wai and Dor Lio Hak Man to an international audience.
Debuting in 2015, the international event in Hong Kong showcases the next generation of talent from Asia’s most forward-thinking galleries alongside artists from around the world, with the event running from today until Sunday.
Sands China is the first integrated tourism and leisure enterprise from Macau to be invited as an Associate Partner to join Art Central, with their Sands Gallery booth, which marked its debut at the event, highlighting each artist’s respective art styles.
Among the pieces* on display are those that incorporate metal with other media to represent a changing city, works where science meets art, and paintings that invite visitors to slow down and take a closer look. Alongside them are also a collection from the ongoing Sands Gallery exhibition dedicated to the memory, history, and aesthetics of Macau’s firecracker industry.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of yesterday’s opening, Sands China Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai said that the non-profit Sands Gallery, which was established in 2022, acts as a “bridge for our local artists to go overseas”, among other purposes, with Art Central being the first step towards introducing Macau artists to the international arena.
“From the initial feedback so far, we were told that they’re [organisers] very happy with the level of excellence in our artists, and they are currently inviting us to participate next year”, Wong pointed out.
Moreover, in response to a question by the Post, Wong pointed out that art and culture is a “very important component” in the government’s economic diversification, adding that this is a process that involves “long-term investment” and needs to be nurtured towards growth. Highlighting the three invited artists, Wong added that the company has cooperated with them since 2023, each having exhibited works at Sands Gallery to positive reception, and are glad to present their works at the event.
The company will “continue to nourish these local artists”, as well as look for opportunities to promote artists outside of Macau in addition to Art Central, whether in other parts of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) or elsewhere. Using sport as an analogy, Wong noted that aside from playing local games, going to play international ones can also show one’s level of skill. Art Central represents a step from the local Sands Gallery to outside of Macau, he concluded.
* This article is the first of a two-part story, with more pictures, interviews with the artists and details on their work in tomorrow’s Page 4.
Sands China Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai (fifth from left), the three exhibiting artists Dor Lio Hak Man (left), Leong Chi Mou (second from right) and Lei Ieng Wai (third from right), along with other guests and representatives, pose for a group photo during the grand opening of the Sands Gallery booth at Art Central at the Central Harbourfront in Hong Kong. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
Visitors to the Sands Gallery booth browse the postcards themed on the ongoing exhibition at Sands Gallery in Cotai.
