BradJill

Review of 澳門藝術博物館 MAM

The MAM is the only true art museum in Macau but h...

The MAM is the only true art museum in Macau but has a rather limited collection compared to its international peers and lacks pieces capable of giving a 'wow' factor. We visited in the afternoon and found the museum quiet with only 5 or 6 other visitors. It took us around 40 minutes to make our way through the available exhibition rooms.

On the fourth floor there were two galleries dedicated to Chinese Calligraphy and some nice scrolls and historical Chinese pieces from the 17th century. This was a large collection which is potentially difficult for western visitors to appreciate without sufficient background of Chinese art and knowledge of Chinese characters.

The third floor offered a contemporary art exhibit and featured works of interesting compositions of mixed media, paintings and informally created images. This was worth a quick look but nothing stuck a huge interest for us unfortunately. On the same floor there is a small area where you can find Macau landmarks that have been photographed in the distant past next to more recent photographs. We always enjoy these 'Now-and-Then' themes. Also there are a few rooms on this floor featuring sketches and drawings by George Chinnery from the 1850s. This affords a peek of early Macau from a European perspective and gives an idea of what certain places in Macau must have looked like 160 years ago.

The second floor was closed for renovation. The 1st floor currently houses a temporary exhibition called 'City Face', which features eye-catching print and poster pieces from around the world, each uniquely designed to highlight and draw attention to their respective locales.

Overall we found the current collection in the MAM less substantial than expected, but we look forward to future visits as this museum transforms its mega-space of art.