Time Tower
The “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025” presents more than 30 exhibitions in six sections, namely the “Main Exhibition”, “Public Art Exhibition”, “City Pavilion”, “Special Exhibition”, “Local Curatorial Project” and various “Collateral Exhibitions,” inviting the public to embark on an enchanting city-wide aesthetic journey. Recently, one of the public artworks, Time Tower, has been unveiled at the Macao Cultural Centre Plaza, and the public is welcome to visit.
The “Public Art Exhibition” section, themed “Waves & Ways” and centred around the idea of fluidity, integrates the historical, present and everyday spaces of Macao into the urban fabric and daily life through five art pieces/sets of works created by eight renowned artists from home and abroad, initiating a range of conceptual experiments in social aesthetics. In order to commemorate Macao’s designation as a “Culture City of East Asia” this year, three famed artists from China, Japan and South Korea were invited to jointly create the artwork Time Tower. They are the famous contemporary Chinese artist Guan Huaibin, who is known for his installation and multimedia art; the well-known Japanese artist and honorary professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, Hirotoshi Sakaguchi, whose works cover various mediums including painting and landscape art; as well as the prestigious and influential Korean contemporary artist, Kim Sang-yeon, whose creations are deeply influenced by Eastern philosophy and explore the symbiosis between humanity and nature. Time Tower merges Eastern temporal and spatial philosophies with contemporary artistic language, transcending physical boundaries to create a “lighthouse of the soul” at the Macao Cultural Centre Plaza. With its poetic interplay of light and shadow, this artwork inspires perceptual connections with its viewers, jointly creating individual and collective memories, mediating on the meaning of life and eternity, and serving as an artistic landmark that commemorates the cultural bonds and spiritual connections among East Asian cities.
Moreover, the Community Co-Creation and Mutual-Aid Project of San Mei On, created by Australian artist Jason Ho, has been recently launched at Block 2, San Mei On Building. The first three teams/artists: “No.1 House of Finnish Pine”, Wang Ying and Shen Jialu, moved into the residence and completed their works in mid-July to late August. Based on the layout of the residential unit, the “No.1 House of Finnish Pine” features three types of furniture that can be flexibly combined, adjusted and dismantled, such as a “日”-shaped shelf, a large coffee table for the living room and floor lamps, facilitating exchange and interactions with residents through these handmade furniture. Wang Ying has composed the Song of the Nameless using AI music tools based on in-depth interviews with the neighbours who shared their life stories and emotional memories. This song reflects the lives of ordinary people in Macao, explores the complex social relationships and collective memories embedded in high-density living spaces, and serves as an infectious audio-visual archive of everyday life in Macao. Shen Jialu explores the breakfast habits of nighttime workers in the San Mei On neighbourhood through the activity “Dinner for Breakfast: Breakfast for Dinner”. Using the nighttime breakfast experience as a medium, this activity connects residents with varying rhythms of life, fostering communication and understanding within and beyond the community. In addition, artist Zhang Xiao will be in residence from 30 August to 5 September to engage in artistic activities. Due to uncertain opening dates of events and the fact that the San Mei On Building (Block II) is a private residence, visitors must make appointments in advance via the “Jason Ho’s Mapping Workshop” WeChat official account. For details on the reservation and information about the Artists-in-Residence, please visit https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lBv3JPFAE5nNMONRonT1bQ.
Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, the “Art Macao 2025” is organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and co-organised by the Macao Government Tourism Office, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM, Sands China Ltd., SJM Resorts, S.A. and Wynn Resorts Macau. For more information about “Art Macao 2025”, please visit the event’s webpage at www.artmacao.mo, follow the “artmacao” account on Instagram, the “IC Art” page on Facebook, or official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao”.
