Sands China kicked off two of its exhibitions for Art Macao 2025 yesterday afternoon at The Venetian Macao in Cotai.
Among them, “Dopamine: Fountain of Happiness” is one of the Special Exhibitions organised by Macau’s six integrated resort operators and features installations with reinterpreted characters from Sesame Street at The Venetian Macao.
The art pieces on display are the creations of nine artists from Asia (namely Macau, the Chinese mainland, South Korea, and Japan), Europe and the US: Craig & Karl, Bibi Lei, GRAFFLEX, Hei Lok, Ilya Milstein, Jun Oson, Jonni Cheatwood, and Song Zhou, each giving their unique take on Sesame Street characters while infusing them with elements of dopamine* art and Roman mythology to create Macau-exclusive original works.
These vibrant works are geared towards bringing happiness to Macau, co-founder and director of curatorial team ARTICROSS Linwood Lin told the Post in an interview** on Monday, adding that the chosen IP for this exhibition is not only well known and positive, but also easy for everyone to understand, approach and connect with regardless of age, therefore promoting art for all.
In creating the works, each artist chose a character that they connected with the most and are presenting them in Macau, a place where they are exhibiting their works for the first time and as a way to promote art to everyone while bringing the exhibits and the audience together, as well as creating an “art and cultural travel destination” at The Venetian Macao, a place where the exhibits are also a perfect match through aspects like its architecture, according to Lin.
She pointed out that the resulting works are not only decorative, but are hoped to bring each visitor positive energy and dopamine to make them smile and feel happy. The team also hopes to bring the fun to each person viewing the works, as well as for them to take the time to understand each artist and their artistic approach through the provided information.
Moreover, as it gathers a lineup of artists from around the world to converge in Macau, the exhibition also serves as “a bridge for East Meets West”, said Lin, being a platform for global artists to learn about the city and, at the same time, being a stage for local artists.
Yesterday’s ceremony also saw the launch of the concurrent “Beyond the Frame: International Contemporary Masterpieces”, a Collateral Exhibition in Art Macao where six artists from the Special Exhibition are presenting their works at Sands Gallery of the Four Seasons Hotel Macao.
Delivering a speech at the dual launch event, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man thanked everyone involved in the exhibition for their work, noting the “passion and professionalism have not only brought this international spectacle to life, but also infused Macau’s cultural landscape with enduring momentum”.
Sands China Ltd. Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai highlighted the two exhibitions, with the company’s Special Exhibition being aimed at creating “the factor of happiness for everyone – dopamine”, while the collateral exhibition sees artists break through “the framework of traditional forms to build one universe after another”. Altogether, the two exhibitions feature over 80 works.
Wong also spoke with reporters after yesterday’s event, noting that their hotel occupancy rate reached 90 percent this summer, similar to previous years. He also noted that he has an optimistic outlook for the overall booking rate and occupancy rate for the second half of the year.
*Dopamine is most notably involved in helping us feel pleasure as part of the brain’s reward system. – Harvard Health
**This article is the first of a two-part story about the Special Exhibition, with the next being an interview with three of the artists to be published on our Page 4. Stay tuned!
Officiating guests, representatives and some of the participating artists pose for a group photo in front of one of the installations on display at The Venetian Macao for Dopamine: Fountain of Happiness, including Sands China Ltd. Executive Vice Chairman Wilfred Wong Ying-wai (third from right) and Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man (sixth from left). – Photos: Rui Pastorin
A girl takes photos of one of the exhibits featured in the Special Exhibition at the integrated resort in Cotai.
