Coexistence

Macao, a lucrative port of strategic importance in the development of international trade in Chinese territory, became a Portuguese settlement in the mid-16th century and returned to China in 1999.

The “Historic Centre of Macao” is a collection of a series of locations in the old city centre that witness the unique assimilation and coexistence of Chinese and Portuguese cultures. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005, and represents the architectural legacies of the city’s cultural heritage. This exhibition provides the interactive opportunity to review how we can learn from the “old” buildings and the existing urban context of Macao in a “new” way.  The exhibition explores the idea for reconditioning historical spaces for domestic use. By presenting a series of recent restoration and regeneration projects, as well as displaying the traditional (perhaps disappearing) building techniques and local materials that are being rediscovered, reused and applied during the re-making process in the past and present days, one might be able to understand the coexisting east-and west relationships between the architectural approaches and the Historic Centre.

Partecipants: Wong Chung Yuen, Wong Iat Cheong,  Alexandre Lou, Ip Kin Hong, Lei Kam Meng, Cheong Chong Peng, Mr Chu Chan Kam, Chao Chi Peng, Mr Kwah Hou In , Vera dos Santos, Leong Chong San, Tong Man Kit