Maritime and cultural tourism exhibition
features giant, eye-popping installations at five prominent
locations in Macao
MACAO, Jan. 15,
2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Sands China held an opening
ceremony Wednesday at the Macao Science Center waterfront to
celebrate world-famous pop art master Philip Colbert's colourful maritime and
cultural tourism art exhibition, Coastal Fantasia:
The Lobster King's Vacation in Macao, which features massive
installations of his iconic Lobster cartoon persona.
From now until mid-March, local residents and visitors can enjoy
the exhibition at five concurrent locations in Macao, crafted by the world-renowned British
contemporary pop artist to highlight Macao's unique coastal beauty. Some of the
works were exclusively designed for this special exhibition.
Free to visit, this enriching, accessible art series is
brought to Macao by Sands China
with the support of the Marine and Water Bureau, Municipal Affairs
Bureau, Macao Government Tourism Office, Cultural Affairs Bureau,
Public Security Police Force and Macao Science Center.
Sands China hopes that the
innovative, city-wide pop art installation will further expand
Macao's maritime tourism
offerings, enrich the cultural experience of locals and tourists in
Macao, support the development of
new tourism products to attract domestic and international
visitors, and showcase Macao's
multicultural charm.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, executive vice
chairman of Sands China Ltd., said: "Sands China is delighted to
partner with globally acclaimed British contemporary pop art master
Philip Colbert to bring his iconic
Lobster back to the city in this new year with Coastal Fantasia:
The Lobster King's Vacation in Macao. Macao
is a port city located on the coast of the South China Sea,
naturally endowed with significant geographical advantages. With
its unique blend of East meets West culture spanning over four
centuries, the peninsula possesses characteristics that are truly
one-of-a-kind in the world. By introducing internationally renowned
masterpieces to Macao, we aim to
boost Macao's coastal tourism
offerings and promote the beauty of the city's coastline – while
further enriching Macao's
distinctive tourism and cultural atmosphere and enhancing its
international reputation through this newly launched maritime and
cultural art exhibition. Additionally, this exhibition's
installations showcase both the classic and new look of Colbert's
Lobster to highlight the importance of preserving the ocean and
ecological environment – some of which are even making their
global debut.
"Macao's exhibition of this
globally recognised artist once again highlights the city's unique
integration of Chinese and Western cultures and its cultural charm.
This mega-event demonstrates Sands China's ongoing support for the
government's vision to promote Macao's diversification, ushering in a new
chapter for the city's cultural and arts industries. We express our
heartfelt gratitude to the Liaison Office of the Central People's
Government in the Macao SAR and the bureaus and departments of the
Macao SAR government for their unwavering support, and to Colbert
and his professional team for bringing amazing pop art works to
Macao."
Philip Colbert has
earned a global fanbase with his Lobster character and his
hyper-pop history paintings. Full of energy, his paintings are a
fusion of themes from old master paintings, contemporary art, and
everyday symbols of mass culture. His bright artistic vision comes
to life in his well-known Lobster character and its immense
installations.
The exhibition's larger-than-life installations and themed
sculptures are concurrently showcased at five different locations
in the city, including Macao Science Center waterfront, ‧ART Space
at Macao Cultural Center, The Venetian Macao outdoor lagoon, and
two Sands China's revitalisation areas: the former Iec Long
Firecracker Factory and Taipa Houses.
Colbert has held over 50 solo exhibitions around the world since
2014, many of them in Asia,
including China, Japan, and Korea. He last visited Macao for Sands China's exhibition for Art
Macao 2023. For the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, he held a public exhibition of his
giant Lobster sculptures at Station F.
Colbert said: "I'm so excited to be back to Macao and it's such an honour to be the
biggest artist takeover in the city's history. I'm so grateful to
the bureaus and departments of the Macao SAR government and Sands
China for having a great ambition to help bring my artistic works
to life on such a big scale. Macao
is a city I have been inspired by from the first time I came. I
really believe that Lobster would feel right at home in the city,
and it is excited that we are going to unveil three permanent
sculptures in the city – may Lobster's dream live on in
Macao forever!"
Coastal Fantasia: The Lobster King's Vacation in Macao
From now until March 16,
the Macao Science Center waterfront features a new
15-metre-high inflatable installation, Lobster Submarine, as
well as four thematic art sculptures along the shore that
accentuate the beauty of Macao's
distinctive coastline. At The Venetian® Macao, visitors are greeted by an
enormous, eye-catching 7-metre-high Lobster Flamingo,
featuring The Lobster King floating in a bright pink flamingo ring
in the waters of the outdoor lagoon.
Philip Colbert's Solo
Exhibition: "The Journey to the Lobster Planet Macao"
In order to expand Colbert's artistic footprint into
neighbouring community areas, Philip
Colbert's Solo Exhibition: "The Journey to the Lobster
Planet Macao" is running now until Feb. 15 at‧ART Space at Macao
Cultural Center 1F. Co-organised by Sands China, the Macao
Cultural Affairs Bureau, and Colbert, the renowned artist's
inaugural solo exhibition in Macao
has unveiled a collection of over 20 newly created artworks,
ranging from oil paintings and sculptures, letting visitors
discover the vibrancy of pop art in a museum ambiance.
Sands China's Community
Revitalization Series: "Philip
Colbert's Macao Art Tour"
Finally, residents and visitors can head to the former Iec Long
Firecracker Factory and Taipa Houses to see Colbert's artworks
illuminate the historic sites from now until
March 16 in Sands
China's Community Revitalization
Series: "Philip Colbert's Macao Art
Tour." Among the seven sculptures on display are a Lobster
Firecracker and Lobster Cockerel specially crafted by
Colbert by drawing inspiration from these two historic locations.
This lively showcase is supported by the Cultural Affairs Bureau
and the Macao Government Tourism Office.
In order to enhance the Lunar New Year ambiance for visitors
during the festive season, Sands China is providing free
lobster-themed fai chun by an on-site calligrapher and Chinese
instrumental music performances at Iec Long for a limited time.
Additionally, Sands China will host a sharing session for
Macao art students to learn from
Colbert Jan. 16 at‧ART Space.
Guests of honour at Wednesday's opening ceremony at Macao
Science Center waterfront were Bai Bing, deputy director-general of
the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of
the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Leong Wai Man, president of the Cultural Affairs
Bureau of the Macao SAR; Cheng Wai Tong, acting director of the
Macao Government Tourism Office; Mok Ian
Ian, president of the Board of Directors of Macao Science
Center Limited; Colbert; Dr. Wong; Dave
Sun, executive vice president and chief financial officer of
Sands China Ltd. and managing director of Venetian Macau Limited;
Wong Chio Fat, head of the shipping
and seafarers department of the Marine and Water Bureau of the
Macao SAR; Sou Hoi Chi, acting head of the department of cultural
and recreational affairs and civic education of the Municipal
Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR; and Chan
Weng Hei, acting head of the marine enforcement department
of the Macao Customs Service.
Meanwhile, Philip Colbert's
Solo Exhibition: "The Journey to the Lobster Planet Macao" was
inaugurated Wednesday at ‧ART Space, with an opening ceremony
attended by Bai, Leong, Cheng, Colbert, Dr. Wong, and Sun.
For more details about Philip
Colbert's Coastal Fantasia: The Lobster King's Vacation in
Macao, visit
https://en.sandsresortsmacao.com/sands-lifestyle/events/king-lobster-vacation-2025.html.
About Sands China Ltd.
Sands China Ltd. (Sands China or the Company) is incorporated in
the Cayman Islands with limited
liability and is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
(HKEx: 1928). Sands China is the largest operator of
integrated resorts in Macao. The
Company's integrated resorts on the Cotai Strip comprise The
Venetian® Macao, The Plaza® Macao,
The Parisian® Macao and
The Londoner® Macao. The Company also owns and
operates Sands® Macao on the Macao peninsula. The Company's portfolio
features a diversified mix of leisure and business attractions and
transportation operations, including large meeting and convention
facilities; a wide range of restaurants; shopping malls;
world-class entertainment at The Venetian Arena, The Londoner
Arena, The Venetian Theatre, The Parisian Theatre, the Londoner
Theatre and the Sands Theatre; and a high-speed Cotai Water Jet
ferry service between Hong Kong
and Macao. The Company's Cotai
Strip portfolio has the goal of contributing to Macao's transformation into a world centre of
tourism and leisure. Sands China
is a subsidiary of global resort developer Las Vegas Sands
Corp. (NYSE: LVS).
For more information, please visit www.sandschina.com.
About Philip Colbert
Living and working in London,
Scotland-born Colbert is often
referred to as the "godson of Andy
Warhol." He has attracted a global following for his cartoon
lobster persona and his masterful hyper-pop history paintings. His
works powerfully explore the patterns of contemporary digital
culture and its relationship to a deeper art historical dialogue.
"I became an artist when I became a Lobster," he famously said.
With his energetic approach to painting and pop theory, his
paintings cross high art themes from old master paintings and
contemporary art theory with everyday symbols of mass contemporary
culture, all narrated through the eyes of Colbert's cartoon Lobster
alter ego. He has been championed as a contemporary pop art master
by art world figures such as Charles
Saatchi & Simon De
Pury.
Colbert famously staged an artistic intervention in 2022 ahead
of the opening week of the 59th Venice Biennale with an inflatable
lobster sculpture that floated along the Grand Canal. Since 2014,
Colbert has held more than 50 solo exhibitions worldwide, having
frequently appeared in Asia,
including various cities in China,
Japan, and Korea. Colbert paid his
last visit to Macao for Sands
China's exhibition for Art Macao 2023. For the 2024 Summer Olympics
in Paris, he held a public
exhibition featuring his giant sculptures at Station F.
Media contacts:
Corporate Communications, Sands China Ltd.
Mabel Wu
Tel: +853 8118 2268
Email: mabel.wu@sands.com.mo
Jesse Chiang
Tel: +853 8118 2054
Email: jesse.chiang@sands.com.mo
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