Interview by Rui Pastorin
Portuguese artist and researcher Mariana Maia Rocha is showcasing her works in Macau for the first time in an exhibition titled “At the Threshold of Memory”, using art to give her take on Macau using pieces created during a near month-long residency in Macau.
Kicking off last night at the D1 Gallery of Albergue SCM*, the exhibition is a collaborative project between Cerveira Art Biennal Foundation and CAC - “Territories without Borders 2025 -2026 I artist residency programme VAI-VEM / Collaboration with Cerveira Art Biennal Foundation”, which according to a statement provided at yesterday’s opening ceremony, invites Portuguese artists to Macau for cultural exchange.
Among the topics that the exhibition explores is the transient nature of Macau’s landscape, how urbanisation and globalisation affect the local identity, as well as engaging with themes of memory and mortality, among others.
Speaking with the Post after last night’s opening ceremony, Maia Rocha said that her works are displayed across the three sections of the venue, using various mediums to convey her concepts and ideas.
Maia Rocha’s exhibition starts with an installation featuring a line of shoes, leading into the gallery, with the idea behind it being her walking the streets of Macau, she said. Right at the centre is a large black and white drawing, created with the use of graphite and charcoal powder. The subject depicted in one of the drawings, meanwhile, came after Maia Rocha’s research into the city’s archives, particularly seeing many pictures of typhoons and their aftermath, using her hand to emulate the movements involved.
Bamboo also plays a role in the exhibition as while this wasn’t the first time that Maia Rocha has integrated it into her art, she said she became very intrigued by the scaffolding found across the city when she first came upon it when she arrived around mid-November. It served as a main inspiration for some of the works, recording them in her other black and white drawings on display, while using them for a “photo-performance” across the city.
Latex, meanwhile, is used to create works that convey the idea of it being the “skin” of a street, particularly with its change in colour during its transition from its liquid to its solid state, also having a link to how skin changes during death.
Meanwhile, when asked about her experience in Macau during her residency, Maia Rocha said that overall, she enjoyed it for a number of reasons and explored the city not as a tourist, but to “feel it”. She also particularly liked the city centre and the more traditional parts of Macau, now seeing the city as a special place.
One can view the works until December 29, with the venue open from Tuesday to Sunday from noon through 7 p.m. On Mondays, it is open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
*Albergue is Portuguese for “hospice”. SCM stands for Santa Casa da Misericórdia (“Holy House of Mercy”), Macau’s oldest charitable organisation.
Artist and researcher Mariana Maia Rocha introduces one of her exhibits after last night’s opening ceremony of her exhibition “At the Threshold of Memory” at Albergue SCM. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
