Clement Valla: Macao Pointcloud Garden

Curated by Sio Man Lam, Macao Pointcloud Garden by French-American artist Clement Valla is on view as part of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023, presented by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region. One of the six public art installations featured in this year’s Art Macao, this new media installation is showcased through December 10, 2023, accompanied by a series of free public programming.

Derived from Valla’s Pointcloud Garden series and debuted as an outdoor, site-specific public artwork at the recently revitalized Former Iec Long Firecracker Factory, Macao Pointcloud Garden unfolds an intriguing landscape of moving images generated through technology. Set against the onsite natural greenery, the work brings digital images and nature into a sharp contrast, presenting a new way to experience nature. 

Macao Pointcloud Garden—a series of two works—comprises a 3D-scanned point data collection that represents Macao’s diverse flora and enchanting gardens. To create the installation, Valla researched the city’s botanical history and meticulously identified culturally significant plants and gardens. Starting with 3D scans of gardens and collecting the point data generated from the scans, Valla created digital landscapes of the gardens and plants in point data, a set of data points in a 3D coordinate system through data analysis and reconstruction. The visualization consists of moving images that are intentionally pixelated and low-resolution yet vivid and colorful, evoking an ambiguous sense of scale and space and prompting viewers’ individual imagination. 

Upon entering the Former Iec Long Firecracker Factory, visitors will first encounter Wind Garden, where two towering LED screens stand amidst a cluster of ficus rumphii, also known as “heart-leaf banyan.” The piece positions a strong contrast between the natural world perceived by human vision and by computer lenses and sensors. As visitors venture further into the Factory, they will come across Transparent Garden—a concealed, semi-transparent screen harmoniously integrated within the lush, secret garden between the abandoned workshops.

Intended to be slow, calm, and quiet, the images summon a serene ambiance reminiscent of Hamorebi, referring to light filtering through rustling leaves in Japanese, offering a change of tempo from the fast pace of scroll culture. By creating these screen-based pictures of nature, Valla invites the audience to reflect on our intensified screen life and contemplate the emotional experiences of being on a screen versus being in nature.

“Macao has long served as a wellspring of inspiration for artists who immerse themselves in its vibrant atmosphere. It is my aspiration to demonstrate how our city can follow the lead of artists and invest in their creative processes, supporting artistic experiments that inspire transformative experiences and stimulate civic engagement,” said curator Sio Man Lam. “This year’s Art Macao explores the intersection of technology and spirituality, and I am thrilled about the contemplative moments Clement’s work will create as viewers reflect upon daily encounters with technology and nature, initiating a dialogue with Macao’s urban spaces, cultural heritage, and natural history. Additionally, I am eagerly anticipating Clement’s work to ignite fresh ideas and values while contributing to the advancement of Macao.”

With a socially engaged approach, Lam will collaborate with local arts and environmental professionals to present a series of free events during the public art exhibition, fostering communities that celebrate and promote Macao’s cultural and natural heritage. 

This exhibition is advised by the Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government and organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau. It is also co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office; Galaxy Entertainment Group; Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited; MGM; Sands China Ltd.; SJM RESORTS, LIMITED and Wynn Macau, Limited; and supported by the Municipal Affairs Bureau.