Art For All and All For Art

 

The story of AFA begun nine years ago and at that time no one could exactly predict the changes that would take place during the next decade. Beside the institutions there were about three other venues for Macau artists to show their work and pretty much nothing else existed. It was a time when the idea of selling was not implemented and artists felt happy just to participate. There was much to be done. Artists felt often misunderstood by the general society and, with the exception of just a few, most would not even have their own studio. There were no commercial galleries and artists had little opportunities to exhibit. Looking back one have to think of what a perfect set up for real change to happen that was.

 

In the year of 2007 a group of local artists got together and decided to create an association that aimed to develop Macau fine arts practice. It was named Art For All and the first gallery with artist studios opened near Ruins of St. Paul’s. It was a matter of believing in the present and believing in the future at the same time. It was a matter of standing up against procrastination and fight against the lack of opportunities for Macau artists to show their work in a gallery context. The space near the Ruins of St. Paul’s was the first of the exhibition spaces of AFA and something very important started with it in a time with no real cultural industries concept or shops. Constantly enduring and having to survive with the twists of the speculative real estate reality AFA soon had to move, and then move again, and then move again, and then move again, and now AFA is at the Art Garden and the truth is that nobody knows what will happen in the future.

 

During nine years AFA also opened two galleries in Beijing, with the last one being at the famous 798 district. During nine years AFA participated in some of the most important Art Fairs in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, London and other cities. AFA organized two Museum shows at the Orient Museum in Lisbon, partnered with the local casinos, namely MGM, established a student grant, started its own school and did a number of workshops, talks and art classes. With Orient Foundation, AFA created the breakthrough yearly show of the “Autumn Salon”, an important date on today’s art calendar, and “VAFA”, the only international open call video art festival in the territory.  AFA was included twice in the prestigious Bazar Arts top 100 galleries in China and had regular feedback on the arts media of the Asia Pacific area. And many, many, many other achievements - in fact it is hard to keep track of all that was done by such a dynamic association.

 

 
One of its biggest achievements was what AFA done for the artists with many starting to be more recognized by the local society and some even achieving international recognition. In nine years the number of members kept growing and a flux of new voices showed up. There is still much to be done in Macau for contemporary arts. Surely there is still a contemporary discourse that society lacks to appreciate fully and there is still a more professional touch that it’s not ruled itself by sales and visuals that needs to be developed. It takes time but slowly, hopefully, Macau arts will shine with things other than sales like concept, context, quality and innovation, which are key ideas to put Macau art in the global map. And when that happen one can believe the market will also grow. It’s still a very early beginning for Macau artists to have the recognition of curators, scholars and historians from the outside on a regular basis and there is still much to be done for the arts on the educational, theoretical, commercial and promotional level but there’s no space for quitters. We are all in this together. We persevere because that’s what real artists do. Yes we still have a long way to go but things are very different today from what they were nine years ago and AFA have been playing as one of the game changers for the Macau art scene.

 

When speaking about AFA one needs to speak about inclusiveness and open doors. AFA gives the same chances to everyone and that is clearly showed in this exhibition. Instead of a theme curated show it was decided to leave the choice of the works to the artists, for what they felt it was appropriated to celebrate the anniversary, after all AFA embraces diversity and no art practice in Macau follows a trend or is muted on a style, a group or a movement.

 

Here we are and what a journey it has been till now. Here we are, nine years later, with renewed energy and a belief that art exists in our daily lives when we feel happy, when we feel sad, when we think and when we breathe. Here we are with the strong conviction that we should not leave for tomorrow what can be done today, because the Macau art scene needs it, because Macau society needs Macau artists, because Macau artists need to express themselves and grow with their practice, because after a few years the only thing that Macau can look back to tell its history is culture, and what is art if not that important part of culture that makes life more colorful?

 

After nine years it’s clear that for the members of this association AFA means both Art For All and All For Art.

 

Happy birthday AFA.

 

José Drummond
Curator