Exhibition on French Impressionism opens at UM, offering visual feast to audience

The opening ceremony of the exhibition ‘With The Sunshine, Across The Sea: From French Impressionism to Landscape Paintings of Macao’ was held at the exhibition hall of the University of Macau (UM) Museum of Art today (2 February). The exhibition showcases nearly 130 masterpieces by Théodore Géricault, Claude Monet, and Gustave Courbet, attracting many UM students and faculty, as well as people from different sectors of the community to enjoy the visual feast.

The opening ceremony was officiated by Ho Ioc San, representative of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government and chief of office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Yin Rutao, deputy director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Lam Kam Seng Peter, chair of UM University Council; Yonghua Song, rector of UM; Carlos Roberto Xavier, acting deputy director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Cheang Kai Meng, vice president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Un Sio San, director of the Macao Museum of Arts; and Li Jun and Yao Jingming, curators of the exhibition.

In his speech, Song said that as the largest international comprehensive university in Macao, UM actively responds to and supports the policy of nurturing artistic talent for the city. For example, leveraging the foundation provided by the Centre for Arts and Design, the university established the Department of Arts and Design in 2021. It also established the Museum of Art in May last year to facilitate the long-term development of the department. UM’s Department of Arts and Design has recruited many outstanding art historians and artists. Moreover, the department has launched the Master of Fine Arts and Doctor of Fine Arts programmes, which align with the current state and development of art in Macao. It is expected that these programmes can develop new concepts of art education and nurture high-end artistic talent who possess a contemporary perspective and lofty aspirations. Through cooperation with the Department of Arts and Design and the Centre for Arts and Design, the UM Museum of Art will further leverage its functions in collection, exhibition, teaching, and exchange. It is dedicated to serving UM students and faculty while enriching the artistic vision and aesthetic taste of the Macao audience.

With an innovative curatorial approach, the exhibition showcases nearly 130 masterpieces, including oil paintings created in Normandy in France by more than ten famous Western artists, such as Théodore Géricault, Claude Monet, Gustave Courbet, Eugène Boudin, and Camille Corot, as well as photographs by their contemporaries. Another section of the exhibition features neo-impressionist paintings by the 20th-century French painter André Hambourg, and landscape paintings by Macao-based Chinese and Western artists such as George Smirnoff, Luís Luciano Demée, and Kwok Se, who drew inspiration from the convergence of cultures. In addition, there are several artistic photo spots such as an ‘interactive’ installation with Monet and a book wall, bringing an unforgettable visual feast to the audience.

After the opening ceremony, Li Jun gave a talk titled ‘Scenery Under the Visions of West and East’. Taking the exhibited works as examples, Prof Li explained how the contrasting mediums of water and oil undergo a magical chemical reaction and give rise to a harmonious effect similar to the convergence of Eastern and Western cultures in Macao. He guided the audience to appreciate the uniqueness and aesthetics inherent in French impressionist paintings and Macao landscape paintings. The talk was well-attended by many guests, students, and faculty.

The exhibition is organised by the UM Museum of Art, curated by the Department of Arts and Design of UM and the UM Library, and co-organised by L’association Peindre en Normandie, Les Franciscaines in Deauville, and Ardi Photographies, with the support of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the Macao Museum of Arts. The exhibition will be open until 5 May 2024. The UM Museum of Art is located on the first and second floors of the UM Wu Yee Sun Library (E2) and is open from 10:00am to 7:00pm daily, including public holidays (except the first three days of the Chinese New Year). Admission is free. For more information on the exhibition, please visit the UM Museum of Art website at https://library.um.edu.mo/museum/en/.