Photographs by Macao artist Mr. Tang Kuok Hou illustrating how artificial light illuminates the Macao cityscape at night are on show at the IFT Café. The exhibition, “Photosynthesis II – Tang Kuok Hou Photography Exhibition”, opened on 6 October and runs until 31 December.
The IFT Café is part of the outcome of the Macao SAR Government efforts to revitalise the Nam Van Lake waterfront by turning it into a tourist attraction and place for recreation, and by calling it Anim’Arte Nam Van.
As well as serving food and drink, the café promotes culture by regularly showcasing works of Macao artists. Since it opened in June last year, the IFT Café has staged 8 exhibitions, including the current show.
“We have held various exhibitions, featuring works by art instructors and students, and by established or up-and-coming Macao artists,” says IFT President Dr. Fanny Vong. “We have exhibited Chinese-style paintings, Western-style paintings and works of graphic design, but this is the first exhibition of photography.”
The Anim’Arte Nam Van project also involves the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Sports Bureau and the Macao Government Tourism Office. Dr. Vong says that so far the project has been successful. It has made the Nam Van Lake waterfront a new draw for Macao people and tourists seeking to enjoy their leisure, she says.
Sociology meets the arts
Mr. Tang was born in 1989. His work has been shown in more than 40 solo or joint exhibitions in Macao and elsewhere. His work often explores themes such as identity, time and memory.
The artist studied at IFT about 4 years ago, taking courses at the IFT Tourism and Hotel School on book design and poster design. Some of his book design endeavours have won prizes abroad.
Mr. Tang has a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He says he tries to infuse his works of art with sociological considerations. That has made him interested in the built environment – as the exhibition in the IFT Café shows.
The works on display examine how Macao depends on artificial light to sustain the nightlife of the city, much as plants depend on sunlight to survive and thrive through photosynthesis.
Another exhibition of Mr. Tang’s Photosynthesis series, held earlier this year, concentrated on the neon lights of gaming and hospitality establishments in Macao. The works in the latest exhibition emphasise details of the urban landscape such as concrete structures and street lamps. “This time I focused on themes that are closer to our day-to-day life,” Mr. Tang says.
The artist hopes the exhibition will make people pay more attention to their surroundings. He means to keep studying the cityscape of Macao and record the changes in the cityscape as they happen. “There is so much room for growth for this Photosynthesis series,” he says.
