Exhibition highlights future and traditional culture of Macao

An exhibition featuring Macao's local intellectual property "whatelephant" celebrates the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China, showcasing Macao's world heritage landmarks and distinctive cultural features through innovative artworks.

The art exhibition inviting people to experience Macao's unique cultural characteristics in a different way is being held at Grand Lisboa Palace, a comprehensive commercial complex and resort in Macao Special Administrative Region, under the joint efforts of government authorities, organizations and companies in Shanghai and Macao.

The showcase is inspired by Portuguese-style mosaic patterns and digital technologies and brings the public a mixture of future and traditional culture. "Whatelephant," co-created by 25 artists on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland, takes the spotlight.

Inspired by the migration of Asian elephants, the IP tells the adventure story of an elephant that gets separated from its herd and, with the help of humans, eventually returns to the group.

It is a symbol of the cultural and environmental consciousness of Macao, embodying the spirit of adventure and the quest for harmony with nature.

The exhibition, in cooperation with artists from home and abroad, takes Macao's world cultural heritage and international events as inspiration for a cluster of "elephant" art installations.

Through panoramic multi-sensory touch, many immersive scenes and interactive experiences have been carefully designed to let the audience feel the unique cultural charm of Macao under the new perspective of global creativity.

At the exhibition, people will also find various innovative artworks based on the "whatelephant. These range from masterpieces of Ru porcelain fragments by representative inheritor Zhu Wenli and ceramic artist Zhu Yuhua, to paper artwork by paper-cut artist Jiang Honglin with a traditional Chinese style.

Young Macao artists and the Macao Deaf Association collaborated to create a piece of "whatelephant" artwork together, speaking for vulnerable groups. The ears of "whatelephant" are born asymmetrical, bearing the expectation to encourage people to face their own "flaws," care for and provide help for vulnerable groups, and move forward together with an equal attitude.

The event was supported by various parts such as Macao Government Tourism Office and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall Investment Development Company. Another exhibition was held at Shanghai's iconic Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall in May, highlighting cultural connections between Shanghai and Macao through collaborations with time-honored brands.

The initiative aims to showcase Macao's artistic innovations and foster cultural exchanges through artistic and intangible expressions.

The exhibition also features handicraft workshops, Macao's tourism souvenirs, custard tarts, creative coffee and other delicacies. People are able to book an air art dream flight to experience a special journey through world heritage, sports, food, and beautiful scenery.