The collision of objects is a powerful image, but the collision of cultures is often reserved and invisible. The phrase “Soft Collision” has a double meaning. First is our hope that the clash between the different creative styles of Ann Hoi, Lai Sio Kit and Lei Ieng Wai can produce a chemical reaction, and second is the observation of how growing up amidst the clashing of different cultural environments has affected them and entered into their artworks. The three participating artists all grew up in Macau, and all, for various reasons, received art training in other regions before returning home to launch their creative careers. These artists are quiet and reserved, as are their artworks. If viewers actively draw them out and take them in, they can gain a sense of the carefree air unique to cultural figures of Macau, what they call “hea” in Hong Kong slang, but there is nothing “hea” about their works. Instead, what we see is the refined work of skilled artisans.
Soft Collision continues along the thread of last year’s exhibition Trace Element–Macau Contemporary Art Now, which travelled to Beijing, Hong Kong and Macau as it explored the outcomes of interactions between Macanese artists and outside cultural environments. This exhibition is hosted by Contemporary by Angela Li and the Macau Visual Arts Industry Association with funding from the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government. We are grateful for the steadfast supports of all parties, which has made it possible for this exhibition to meet with the public in Hong Kong. Now you can enjoy this exhibition from across the sea without crossing it yourself.
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