Wynn Proudly Presents the Illusions and Reflections – Through the Eyes of the Masters Exhibition

  • 17-JUL-2021

Event showcases 400 art treasures to the general public and art lovers from all over

Macau, July 17, 2021 – "Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021" will return for a second time from July to October this year. To complement this large-scale international cultural and artistic event, Wynn is organizing a special exhibition under the theme of Illusions and Reflections – Through the Eyes of the Masters. The exhibition is being held at Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace and is open to the public for free from now until 31 October. The event showcases a wide range of world-renowned masterpieces of Chinese modern art, with a total of around 400 artistic treasures. This includes a number of precious artworks that have been lost overseas for nearly 40 years and have now returned to China, which are being presented in Macau for the first time, as well as two large-scale ceramic installations specially made for Macau. Local residents and visitors will encounter a variety of stunning visual art experiences as they explore each exhibit.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition was held in the afternoon of 17 July at the Wynn Palace Art Gallery. Officiating guests included Lo Hou Chi, Advisors of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government; Zuo Xianghua, Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Mok Ian Ian, Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office of the Macao SAR Government; Linda Chen, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of Wynn Macau, Limited; Frederic Luvisutto, Chief Operating Officer of Wynn Palace; Wan Jie, Chairman of Artron Art Group; Artist Zhu Legeng; Artist's representative Hu Ching-Tang. Together, they witnessed the debut of the Illusions and Reflections – Through the Eyes of the Masters Exhibition as it was officially declared open.

The exhibition is comprised of The Abode of Illusions: The Garden of Zhang Daqian and Life Reflection: Contemporary Ceramics of Zhu Legeng. The former is a photographic work of the last garden designed by Chinese master painter Zhang Daqian himself. It was taken by renowned photographer Hu Chongxian, with Zhang's inscription and interpretation showing the wonderful aesthetic mood of the Chinese literati. Meanwhile, the latter exhibit features ceramics created by the internationally famous contemporary ceramic artist Zhu Legeng. During his visit with national leaders, he was inspired to create two majestic environmental installations especially for Macau. These art pieces will be displayed at the newly completed Art Gallery at Wynn Palace as well as our existing Art Center, alongside The Chinese OX Series by Zhu that is on display in the hotel lobby at Wynn Macau, enabling audiences to savor a journey of discovery through these Chinese cultural and artistic treasures.

Linda Chen noted that Macau is known as the "Treasure Land of the Lotus", and the lotus is a relatively prominent theme in the exhibition. Macau's cultural efforts are like a lotus flower in full bloom – fragrant, pure and praised by the world. By joining once again with Art Macao, it is believed that it will help to cultivate exceptional local talents from the cultural, tourism, education and hotel industries that will be a key force in promoting the continued successful development of the city. As a member of the community with deep roots in Macau, Wynn will continue to play an active role in the city's cultural industry and contribute to a flourishing and diversified local economy. 

In order to further promote the popularization and development of art and culture in Macau, Wynn also hosted an art sharing session, titled Illusions and Reflections – Through the Eyes of the Masters, A Dialog and Sharing of Art, at Wynn Palace in the morning of the same day. Curators Joey Ho and Susanna Ferrell, artist Zhu Legeng, and artist's representative Hu Ching-Tang were featured as guest speakers, introducing the exhibition so that the public could better appreciate the creative ideas behind the artworks on display. The event attracted the participation of over 130 representatives from the tourism and cultural sectors, the art and design world, and the MICE industry, as well as teachers and students from local higher education institutions, representatives from youth organizations and art lovers. By promoting interaction and the exchange of ideas, the event helped to further enhance the general public's recognition of and participation in contemporary art. 

Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture and the Secretariat for Economy and Finance, "Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021" is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macao Government Tourism Office, and co-organized by the Education and Youth Development Bureau. This year's event, themed "To create for well-being", gathers creative ideas from all over the world and is divided into a number of sections: Main Exhibition, Special Exhibition of Resorts and Hotels, Public Art Exhibition, Creative City Pavilion, Selected Works by Local Artists and Collateral Exhibition. The aim is to promote Macau as a world-class, cultural and artistic destination and to reshape the humanistic spirit in a post-epidemic era. This edition of "Art Macao" brings an immersive cultural atmosphere to the entire city as a gallery and an art garden for residents and visitors alike to encounter a diverse visual arts experience.