Contemporary art in a public collection

In 2009, the Macao Museum of Art published a 101-page catalogue titled Modern and Contemporary Art: Collection of the Macao Museum of Art. It presents paintings in oil, watercolour and acrylic, as well as performance-art videos. The selection was described as reflecting the contemporary-art development of Macau at the time.

Performance video preserves movement and sound after an event ends, unlike a painting that remains as a physical object. The catalogue records these different ways of preserving artistic work.

The catalogue includes works by local artists and by overseas artists who had lived in Macau for a long time. Some works had been acquired by the museum; others were donated. Those categories tell a concrete story about how contemporary art entered public custody: through artists connected to the city and through distinct institutional decisions to purchase or accept works.

MAM’s gallery layout gives contemporary works more than one setting. The museum’s third floor displays its collection and local artworks; the second floor contains a large gallery for modern and contemporary Western art. These different rooms allow a collection display and a changing exhibition to approach contemporary art from separate angles.

MAM preserves selected works and records rather than representing the whole contemporary art scene. Its displays change with exhibitions and new acquisitions.