Heads turned at MGM Macau art show

Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos' first solo exhibition in Greater China region will be on view at Hotel Metro Goldwyn Mayor Macau till Oct 31, 2015, starting from March 16, 2015.

The show will be open 24-7 to make it convenient for the public to visit the exhibition's main sculpture - a giant installation called Valkyrie Octopus.

The installation took 10 months to build and is known as the "octopus". It measures 35 meters？in length, 20 meters？in height and 1,200 kilograms？in weight. The sculpture weaves together 4,000 meters？bold-colored fabrics and is decorated with thousands of LED bulbs and beads to form a spectrum of fascinating visual effects.

With the help of 3,100 meters？of wire, the large structure is held firmly together with long winding tubes shooting out from the center piece to mimic the tentacles of an octopus.

The artist also fashioned a series of free standing sculptures for visitors to sit on and appreciate the installation from various angles. The series is called Tetris and comprises of three sculptures, Chiado, Alfama and Madragoa which are named after several districts in Portugal that hold huge historical significance. Artisan tile works called Azulejos featuring classic Portuguese and Hispano Moresque motifs are deployed to form the surface to the sculptures.

A visitor from the nearby city of Shenzhen said that people will be dazzled to see all the sculptures, architectures and paintings. Aside from the exquisite craftsmanship visitors should also check out the fabrics and the ornaments produced from many different parts of the world.

There is a little word play in the sculpture's name. "Oct-" means eight and the number 8 implies prosperity in Chinese culture because it pronounced the same as "发", which means "swell", in Cantonese. Water also gives an anticipation of a fortune to Chinese people. The "octopus" perches spectacularly on the aquarium in the center of the Grande Pra？a, connecting the two elements.

Once a colony of Portugal, Macau exhibits a cultural mix of East and West and is one of the top tourism destinations in Asia. Vasconcelos' masterpieces show the deep influences of the Portuguese settlers on Macau's indigenous culture. The intrigue of the exhibition will no doubt be a huge success and add a fresh tinge to the city's cultural scene.

Grant R. Bowie, the CEO and managing director of MGM China, said that the company has been dedicated to boosting Macau's cultural activity for years. He also said that they wanted to celebrate the special connection between Macau and Portugal with the show and to offer a site for the talented artists from different places to communicate with each other.

Pansy Ho Chiu-king, MGM China's managing director and co-chairperson,？said that cultural diversity has become the new trend in art, music and drama in Macau and places further afield.