A new exhibition at the IFT Café shows works by Macao artist Mr. Eric Fok. The majority of the exhibits are hand-drawn maps in an antique style that depict prominent aspects of the Nam Van area, ancient and modern.
“Change of Times – Solo Exhibition by Eric Fok” opened in December and it is the latest effort by IFT to spur the development of cultural and creative industries, and to enrich the cultural life of Macao.
IFT is represented on the Macao SAR Government’s Committee of Cultural Industries by the President of the Institute. “We have a responsibility to promote the development of creative industries and to help young people that are working in this field to develop their careers,” says IFT Tourism and Hotel School Director Ms. Diamantina Coimbra.
The Tourism and Hotel School offers Macao people a wide range of free courses in the realm of the arts. Ms. Coimbra says IFT also regularly stages exhibitions of works of art by staff and students on the Mong-Ha Campus.
The IFT Café opened in the Nam Van area in June last year. Immediately, IFT began using the café to hold exhibitions of works of art by Macao people. Ms. Coimbra says the venue is especially important because it is in the centre of Macao and attracts a diverse range of guests.
“In addition to helping Macao artists develop their careers, we have to educate Macao citizens, many of whom, I believe, do not have much knowledge of art, least of all art produced in Macao,” Ms. Coimbra says.
Apart from serving food and drink, the IFT Café helps train IFT students. The establishment is part of the effort by the Macao SAR Government to revitalise the area around Nam Van Lake and turn it into a new draw for tourists and leisure-seekers.
Historic and modern
Mr. Fok was born in Macao. His maps are on show in publicly owned art collections in Macao, Hong Kong and Portugal. The exhibition at the IFT Café displays old and new works. The common feature is the Nam Van waterfront, for centuries one of the most picturesque parts of Macao.
Several of the works on show depict modern buildings on what otherwise look like 17th century maps of the Nam Van area. The maps show these buildings in their actual positions but many of the buildings are isolated by water – as they would have appeared if they were built before the sites they occupy were reclaimed from the sea in the 20th century.
In all, this is an exhibition that traces the passage of time in an important part of Macao, following in the footsteps of history. Mr. Fok’s works are a wry examination of the changes to the urban environment brought about by development.
