UM’s exhibition
The Department of Arts and Design in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau (UM) was invited to participate in SaloneSatellite, an exhibition at Salone del Mobile.Milano (Milan Design Week) 2026. UM is the first higher education institution from Macao to exhibit at the event, showcasing innovative designs alongside internationally renowned design schools.
Milan Design Week is one of the world’s most influential design events, and SaloneSatellite is widely regarded as a key platform for up-and-coming designers and design schools to present their work. Under the theme ‘Craftsmanship + Innovation’, this year’s exhibition explored the transformation and application of traditional craftsmanship within contemporary design. UM presented over 20 pieces created by faculty members and students, spanning fine arts, industrial design, interaction design, fashion design, visual communication, and spatial design. The pieces showcased Macao’s distinctive cultural identity and the art and design resources in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The exhibition, for the first time, adopted the ‘Radical Sustainable Curatorial Practice (RSCP)’. The entire display was set up by UM faculty and students, and all exhibits were transported using only six standard airline suitcases. The exhibits were made of recycled and regenerated materials collected in Macao, including discarded playing cards, plastic bottles, campus waste materials, and native plants. This approach aimed to reduce the material consumption and carbon emissions typically associated with international exhibitions. The exhibition also explored innovations in paper-based art and crafts, and reinterpreted traditional Chinese papermaking culture through flexible moulding, translating traditional Chinese craftsmanship into contemporary design techniques and demonstrating its potential within the global design discourse.
In addition, UM collaborated with enterprises in Macao and the Greater Bay Area. Partnerships include working with Chazence in Macao to develop products using recycled tea residues, and collaborating with furniture manufacturers in Foshan to advance material and craft innovation. These partnerships underscore the university’s commitment to promoting industry-academia integration and fostering the development of design industry in the region.
UM’s exhibition attracted the attention of leading figures and scholars from the international design community, including Mario Porro, president of Salone del Mobile.Milano; Marva Griffin Wilshire, founder and curator of SaloneSatellite; as well as representatives from leading design schools, reflecting the growing international recognition of UM’s design education and innovative practices.
The exhibition was organised by the UM Department of Arts and Design, with Zhou Hongtao serving as curator, and Li Jun, head of the UM Department of Arts and Design, and James Chu, exhibition director of the Macau Design Centre, as advisors. Other faculty members and students from the department also contributed to the exhibition.
