Kevin Ho, a shareholder of Diário de Notícias, is the key figure who originally brought the newspapers together and is now coordinating efforts between the Macau Sino-Lusophone Association for Cultural Exchange and Friendship and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macau, which is organising the exhibition alongside the Chief Executive’s visit.
On the floors below, Sam Hou Fai inaugurates the main exhibition, “The Achievements of One Country, Two Systems.” In the interval between the parallel exhibition, held an hour and a half earlier, and the formal one, still in waiting mode, the Macau delegation gathers around displays of Chinese culture.
Some arrive from one hotel, others from another; some come straight from the airport; all more or less on time: protocol officials, businesspeople, government figures, and friends. Some are part of the delegation; others, already in Portugal, take the opportunity to drop by – to see colleagues and friends, to hear what is being said. Some reconnect, others build contacts; many take photos.
There is an installation that draws everyone to the centre of the room — the kind of backdrop every selfie demands. Curator Sara Neves feels the impact: “The exhibition was designed specifically for the fourth floor of the Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre; in two parts that interact with each other. At the centre of the room, illuminated by the Lisbon light coming through the skylight, is an installation inspired by the traditional process of newspaper printing, displaying several editions laid out on fabric.
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The materiality evokes the historical and cultural ties between China and the rest of the world, from the silks that travelled along the Silk Road to the sails of Portuguese ships that reached Macau.”
Jorge Neto Valente, president of the association behind the event, delivers the formal address: “The collaboration between media organisations in China and Portugal clearly demonstrates the importance of intercivilisational exchange.
It is through this dialogue that we promote greater understanding, mutual respect, and cultural enrichment between our peoples.” He also adds a personal note: “As a Macanese, I feel a deep pride in what Macau has become – a historical and cultural city of global significance, where Eastern and Western traditions coexist in a unique and harmonious way.”
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O Lam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, cuts the ribbon alongside the president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macau, and the room begins to empty. Some linger in conversation, while others head down to the courtyard, where a dragon dance announces the arrival of the Chief Executive.
The second part of the exhibition, Sara Neves explains, “offers a journey through curiosities drawn from special editions of Diário de Notícias, in dialogue with the view over the Tagus River.
The concept is inspired by the Curiosity Cabinets of Renaissance Europe, presenting a set of facts and images about China organised into six categories: festivals, historical figures and traditions; places, landscapes and architecture; art, crafts and intangible heritage; gastronomy, flavours and cuisine.” That explains it.
