Guided Tour “Expanding Horizons: Journey into Art” Offers Students Valuable Artistic Experience

In order to broaden the artistic horizons of university students and enable them to relax and recharge through the appreciation of art in their daily academic lives, the Student Affairs Office of Macao Polytechnic University organised the “Expanding Horizons: Journey into Art” guided tour. Nearly a hundred students from different programmes participated in the tour of two major exhibitions at the Macao Museum of Art, guided by professional docents. In groups, students followed the professional guides, navigating between traditional and contemporary art and engaging in a profound dialogue with beauty.

The guided tours visited the “Gems from Kilns: Shiwan Ceramics Exhibition” and the main exhibition of “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2025”. They explored the vibrant glazes and exquisite craftsmanship of traditional Shiwan ceramics, as well as the Macao Museum of Art’s treasured collection, which once belonged to Manuel da Silva Mendes — a renowned Portuguese sinologist and collector in Macao, particularly the works of the renowned Shiwan ceramic artist, Pan Yushu. Invited to Macao in 1920, Pan Yushu created pieces such as ‘Hua Tuo’ and ‘Lu Yu’, incorporating Western realistic techniques. Finally, the time-space tunnel, constructed by the curator’s carefully designed exhibition spaces, allowed students to experience the fusion of Eastern and Western art, and the coexistence of Macao’s diverse cultures. These artistic exchanges and collisions, whether in the East-West integration of Shiwan ceramics or in the multicultural spaces under the main exhibition’s “Hey, what brings you here?” theme, prompted students to reflect deeply on cultural exchange, identity and artistic development.

The participating students said that they had gained a great deal from the experience and that the story of the exchange between Shiwan ceramics and Western art had allowed them to appreciate Macao’s unique charm as a meeting point of cultures.

The Student Affairs Office, which organised the event, stated that they aim to promote students’ holistic development and cultivate their humanistic qualities through art appreciation, and will continue to hold similar activities in the future to enrich campus cultural life.