What You Need to Know: As part of the city-wide international art event “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023,” MGM Cotai is presenting the special, large-scale exhibition “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin.” On view through September 24, the show is curated by Hong Kong-based cultural entrepreneur Calvin Hui in consultation with U.K. writer and curator Philip Dodd. The expansive exhibition allows visitors to immerse themselves in the work of the Hsiao, with pieces dating from the 1960s through today—including recent cutting-edge, three-dimensional digital masterworks incorporating audio-visual elements. Part museum quality exhibition, part virtual reality, Hsiao’s work mines historical and contemporary themes and ideas to create dazzling artistic displays. The exhibition is presented within eight zones, chosen for the resemblance of the number “8” to the infinity symbol. Moving through each zone, visitors traverse the breadth of Hsiao’s creative vision.
About the Artist: An influential voice in the postwar generation artist Hsiao Chin, who was born in Shanghai in 1935, passed away earlier this summer at the age of 88, leaving a vibrant artistic legacy that has inspired countless artists. Early in his life, he studied traditional Chinese culture and philosophies, and in the early-1950s began experimenting with abstract art and modern forms of visual expression. In 1955, he co-founded the Ton Fan Art Group with like-minded artists, which is considered one of the first post-war artist groups. Hsiao’s work and practice—beginning at this time and continuing into his last works—were pioneering and continue to bear significance for their unique synthesizing of Eastern and Western modes and approaches to art. Early in his career, he traveled outside of China to Europe and other Western countries to learn and explore the boundaries of art-making and developed a style that integrates facets of traditional Chinese heritage, such as Zen and Taoist philosophies, with Western visual language—specifically that of modern abstraction. In 1961, he co-founded the avant-garde Punto International Art Movement, which sought to bring Eastern philosophy to the European art scene. In 2016, the artist joined 3812 Gallery in Hong Kong and London, where his work continued to garner acclaim worldwide.
According to MGM: “MGM shares the artistic spirit of Hsiao Chin—bold in innovation and aspiring to perfection. Driven by ‘innovation and creativity’, MGM integrates tourism, art, and culture to create a one-of-a-kind ‘art of living’ with a holistic tourism experience. Merging art and technology, ‘To Infinity and Beyond’ exhibition is an immersive voyage of art spanning over six decades across East and West. It unveils Hsiao Chin’s boundless universe of art with an innovative approach to transcending space. It marks the largest multimedia exhibition that Hsiao Chin had in his lifetime, and another breakthrough in MGM’s art endeavors.”—Pansy Ho, chairperson and executive director of MGM China Holdings Limited.
See inside the exhibition below.
Installation view of Zone 2, “Spiritual Journey in the Universe,” in “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin” (2023). Courtesy of MGM Cotai.
Installation view of Zone 3, “Origin of Chi,” in “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin” (2023). Courtesy of MGM Cotai.
Installation view of Zone 4, “Space Travel,” in “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin” (2023). Courtesy of MGM Cotai.
Installation view of Zone 5, “Samantha’s Eternal Garden,” in “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin” (2023). Courtesy of MGM Cotai.
Installation view of Zone 6, “The Art Exhibition,” in “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin” (2023). Courtesy of MGM Cotai.
Installation view of Zone 7, “Beyond Infinity,” in “To Infinity and Beyond: The Art of Hsiao Chin” (2023). Courtesy of MGM Cotai.
