IIM News - Series 3 number 8 - July 2015

I I M NEWS

SERIES 3 NUMBER 8 | JULY 2015 www.iimacau.org.mo

COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION OF MSAR’S 15TH ANNIVERSARY and Festivities” (IIM, May 2015), produced under the coordination of Gonçalo César de Sá, was also presented, in what constitutes a profusely illustrated guidebook about the many feasts and festivities included in the cultural calendar of the SAR. Entitled “Macau – A Success Story”, the exhibition which has the sponsorship of Macau Foundation, will be a roving one for a long time by cities of Portugal and a tour of Brazilian towns from October on. Another version of this exhibition was also inaugurated in Toronto (Canada) on June 27, with the presence of several guests of honor and wide press coverage. The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade of Ontario, Michael Chan, also sent in a congratulatory message with best

The “Centro Científico e Cultural de Macau” in Lisbon was the venue, on the afternoon of June 30, of a commemorative exhibition of MSAR’s 15th Anniversary, organized by the International Institute of Macau (IIM). There were displayed over 50 photos, with different aspects of Macau, from heritage to physical development, from people to festivities, which comprise this exhibit, open to the public until the last week of August. With a packed auditorium, three new DVDs on Macau were show, made by Sergio Perez, Silvie Lai and James Jacinto and by the Government Tourist Bureau of Macau, which got long applauses. A book “Macau – Feasts

1

I I M NEWS

SERIES 3 NUMBER 8 | JULY 2015 www.iimacau.org.mo

wishes for a “successful and memorable event”. On June 20, a similar exhibit was held at the Macau Cultural Center in Fremont, San Francisco, with the collaboration of the Lusitano Club of California, Casa de Macau and União Macaense Americana (UMA), on a day which was also used to celebrate St. John the Baptist. A mass was celebrated, followed by a lecture

by Prof. Ming Chan, of the University of Stanford, the launch of the book “Macau - Feasts and Festivities” and the presentation of two new videos from IIM. At the end, there was a convivial “chá gordo” for the presents, amongst many guests and representatives from Portuguese base institutions of that north American State. In August, another exhibition is being prepared in Oakland’s Chinatown, in collaboration with the Portugal Macau Institute of America. The 15th Anniversary of the Handover and the Foundation of the MSAR was thus celebrated in Lisbon, Toronto and San Francisco. IIM’s initiative is being sponsored by the Macau Foundation and will carry on until the end of the year so to get the name of Macau to cities of different parts of the world, and a roving exhibition could be extended through all the forthcoming months to comply with requests received from several academic, cultural and recreational institutions. We leave here a note presenting the exhibition: “This multicultural city should be looked at in all its aspects to understand how, in 15 years, it could yield such a profound transformation without losing its roots.”

2015 ST. JOHN’S FAIR This St. John’s Fair was again celebrated in the São Lázaro quarters, with the creiterated organization of the Associação dos Macaenses, Casa de Portugal, International Institute of Macau, Associação dos Aposentados, Reformados e Pensionistas de Macau and the Associação Promotora da Instrução dos Macaenses, with the support of the Macau Government Tourist Office. The weekend of June 27 and 28 was very sunny and hot, with many stage performances, amongst artists and folk dances. With popular games and handicraft all around, IIM had a small space there to sell its publications, having organized a

2

I I M NEWS

SERIES 3 NUMBER 8 | JULY 2015 www.iimacau.org.mo

shuttlecock competition with prizes won by contestants. The organizing committee was happy that the event, besides the usual Portuguese and Macanese communities, registered a wider participation of different cultures who were attracted to the venue due to the colorfulness, the smell of the grills, music and much merrymaking.

This open-air Fair will come back next year in its 10th edition when the organizers expect to attract more people to this event, which reminds them a little bit of “their” Portugal, but also the Macau’s Day which was always celebrated by its people along these years. The patron saint, St. John the Baptist, will be for sure ready to welcome this special festivity once again, same time next year.

(MOMENTS OF THE 2015 ST. JOHN’S FAIR)

JUNE 10 – NATIONAL DAY OF PORTUGAL, OF CAMÕES AND OF THE PORTUGUESE COMMUNITIES IIM took part in the June 10 celebrations, at the Camões Garden, for the National Day of Portugal, of Camões and of the Portuguese Communities. The event had the presence the Secretary of Justice of Portugal and the Consul General of Portugal, was also participated by Portuguese institutions and by the Portuguese School of Macau.

3

I I M NEWS

SERIES 3 NUMBER 8 | JULY 2015 www.iimacau.org.mo

STUDENTS’ VISIT On June 16. IIM welcomed a visit by a group of students and professors from State University of New York (SUNY), at Geneseo, guided by Prof. Tze Ko Hon. Though it was a short one day visit to Macau, the students had a enriching experience about this city, specially about its history and culture. A briefing was made by Rufino Ramos, IIM’s Secretary General who made a summary about the main aspects of the history of Macau, focusing on how the past has been preserved in the current Special Administrative Region of P.R.China, dominated today by the development of gaming and tourism industries and with the objective of attaining the level of an international destination in leisure and tourism.

“SAGRES – A NOSSA BARCA” BOOK LAUNCH Joaquim Magalhães de Castro presented his new book, on May 12, at the Portuguese Consulate General in Macau, a photographic catalog entitled “Sagres – A Nossa Barca”. With the support of IIM, the book launch was also sponsored by other entities which were present, like Banco Nacional Ultramarino, the Casa de Portugal in Macau and the Fundação Oriente, as well as of the same Consulate. This book describes the voyages made aboard that school-ship of the Portuguese Navy, with photographic records by the author. As a researcher, he also informs about the role of this sailboat in publicizing the Portuguese culture, as stated during the book launch. Castro also stated that Sagres was twice in Macau and is kept firmly in the memories of the Chinese of Macau: “It is considered one of the most beautiful sailboats of the world because it is genuine, maintains the initial structure since it was built”. At the end of the different presentations, a question and answer session ensued and some regarded the author’s personal experience on the voyages aboard the ship. The researcher happily replied quoting pleased this type of experience “which exerts always a great fascination, because it is a very nice ship.” “Sagres – A Nossa Barca” is a trilingual book which is currently available to the public.

4

I I M NEWS

SERIES 3 NUMBER 8 | JULY 2015 www.iimacau.org.mo

“MAO, CHINA Y LOS OTROS” This is the title of a book by a researcher of the Catholic University of Portugal, Beatriz Hernández, published by the IIM. Its launch was made on June 4, at the Exhibition Hall of the same University in Lisbon, with the presentation made by Jorge Rangel and by the Vice Rector of the same University, Isabel Capeloa Gil. The book consists of an extensive bibliography and over one hundred illustrations, which the author developed in seven frames, with intelligence, originality and contextual framework into the historical, political, cultural and social panorama of China during Mao Zedong’s era. The visual meaning and the political symbolism of the publicity posters of Mao were produced in accordance with the revolutionary Marxist dialectic, which was developed after the foundation of the P.R.China in October 1949, and special attention was given to the decade of the “cultural revolution”. The events of Macau were also reflected, namely the “1 – 2 -3”, in December 1966. Those posters were, in the time, object of much attention from collectors and academic researchers. According to prof. Jorge Santos Alves, “It is not every day that we have the chance to read such a book”.

INNAUGURATION OF THE LUÍS GONZAGA GOMES INSTITUTE IN LISBON June 24, dedicated to the patron Saint of the City of Macau, St. John the Baptista, was the day chosen for the inauguration of the Luís Gonzaga Gomes Institute, at the Noble Hall of the Palace of Independence, in Lisbon. This event was to present the new unit that will develop activities related with Macau and the Portuguese presence in the Far East, through research, conferences, exhibitions, publications, and started with a lecture about the life and work of Luís Gonzaga Gomes, a Macanese writer and historian, made by the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Historical Society of the Independence of Portugal (SHIP), and also President of IIM, Jorge Rangel. That institute is inserted in the organization structure of the SHIP. During the session, it was highlighted the close cooperation that exists between both institutions, specifically IIM, as extraordinary and honorary member of SHIP and a clear message was passed about the possibility of developing activities with other entities on similar basis. Luís Gonzaga Gomes was highly regarded in the Macanese community for his committal to civic and cultural activity of Macau, and also author of vast bibliography, held several positions in Macau and set up the Luís de Camoes Museum, currently the Macau Art Museum.

5

I I M NEWS

SERIES 3 NUMBER 8 | JULY 2015 www.iimacau.org.mo

3rd MEETING OF LUSOPHONE AND CHINESE POETS IN PORTUGAL On June 1 to 4, the 3rd Meeting of Lusophone and Chinese Poets took place in Lisbon, in a partnership that involved the Portuguese National Center of Culture, the Jorge Álvares Foundation and the International Institute of Macau. This gathering got together portuguese and chinese speaking university professors and poets. During the working sessions, representatives of the organizers, Guilherme d’Oliveira Martins, Carlos Melancia and Jorge Rangel, remarked about the importance of this cultural event, as well as maintain this cooperation paving the way to the possibility of holding this gathering again in the coming two years. One more session was held with the poets at the Confucius Institute, on June 3, a complementary session of this meeting in Lisbon. This initiative allowed an enriching dialogue between professors and students, with musical moments starring youngsters from Almada and featuring poets from Macau. Once again the relationship between China and the lusophone world became strengthened in this cultural event, through the importance and meaning of poem.

PHOTO CONTEST

This contest on Macau’s Cultural Heritage, open only for residents and specially for students, ended up on August 31. It is held under the sponsorship of Macau Foundation and the collaboration of the Macau Digital Photography Association and the Macau Central Leo Club. Many photographic works were submitted and are being classified by a panel comprised by members of the said Association as well as appointed by IIM. An exhibition of the best works will be exhibited at Caixa Escolar – Tap Seac, in November.

IIM Address: Edifício Venus Court, Rua de Berlim, 240, 2º (NAPE) – Macau Tel: (+853) 2875 1727 / 2875 1767 Fax: 2875 1797 Email: iim@iimacau.org.mo

6