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Taipa Village Cultural Association is honored to present a commemorative photography exhibition at the Taipa Village Art Space, showcasing a previously unseen documentary photography series by the late Macao photographer and artist Frank Lei (Li Ruifen), taken during his travels in Cuba in 1992. The exhibition is supported by the Cultural Development Fund of the Macao SAR Government.
Frank Lei passed away on May 18, 2022, leaving behind a vast collection of lesser-known photographic works. With the assistance of his family, close friends, and particularly the photography collective Dialect (Fangyan She), led by editor-in-chief and co-founder Yang Junrong, this exhibition presents his documentary series from his 1992 trip to Cuba. Dialect is dedicated to exploring the infinite possibilities of photography and bringing new influence to Macao's photography scene through various forms of exhibitions.
Cuba remains a distant country with a controversial political system, yet its unique and rich culture is often recalled through music, cigars, and the lifestyle celebrated in the 1999 award-winning film Buena Vista Social Club. This place held an extremely important position in Frank Lei's artistic career. In 1992, he first set foot in Cuba, traveling not only to the capital, Havana, but also deep into Santiago de Cuba in the far east, demonstrating a profound concern for and exploration of Cuban humanity. A decade later, he launched a photography exhibition and photobook titled Cuba Cuba, using selected color slide works as the narrative core to present a vibrant, colorful impression of Cuba.
However, within Frank Lei's Cuban image archive, alongside these colorful slides, lies a collection of never-before-exhibited black-and-white photographs. These monochrome images capture the daily life and emotions of the Cuban people from a more subtle and introspective perspective. Over twenty years later, while the Cuba Cuba exhibition has become a classic, these unpublished black-and-white photos serve as a new window in the folds of time, allowing us to reimagine the island nation that deeply moved Frank Lei's soul and reveal another side of his Cuban journey. This exhibition aims to highlight the importance of documentary photography in recording the true face of humanity and their living conditions.
Born in Beijing, Frank Lei moved to Macao at the age of ten. He majored in journalism and communication in university. After graduating and working as a reporter for Macao Daily News, he fell in love with French New Wave cinema and decided to pursue his dream in Paris. He studied at Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, earning a bachelor's degree in film and video in 1990. That same year, he was admitted to the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Paris to study photography. In 1991, he won first prize in the "Street Life" international photography competition organized by the French Museum of Photography, with his work exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris and permanently collected by the museum.
Film, photography, music, and literature were his lifelong passions. Shortly after returning to Macao, he encountered Buddhism and adopted a simple, vegetarian lifestyle. He held numerous solo and group photography exhibitions in France, Macao, and Hong Kong. In 1995, he founded the art group "Comuna de Pedra" (Stone Commune). In 2001, the group moved into the "Old Ladies' House" (Pou Chai Un) and established the "Old Ladies' House Art Space," with Frank Lei serving as artistic director. After the space was reclaimed, the team relocated to continue operations at the "Ox Warehouse."
In 2004, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. After treatment, he resumed his teaching position and work at Ox Warehouse. During his recovery, he began painting extensively. In 2006, he published the photography essay collection Bian Zou Bian Kan (Looking While Walking) with Livraria Portuguesa. He continued his work in photography and painting, holding personal exhibitions and traveling for exchanges and exhibitions in New York, Korea, and France. His brain cancer recurred in 2017, and he passed away on May 18, 2022.
Established in 2016, the Taipa Village Cultural Association is a non-profit organization formed by a group of professionals dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of Taipa Village. It is committed to promoting the rich history and unique culture of Taipa Village, fostering tourism and community development in the area, further optimizing the tourism and cultural industries, and building a better community.
The association strives to revitalize Taipa Village through various art and cultural activities, shaping the district into Macao's unique art and lifestyle cultural tourism zone. It combines cultural creativity, art, exhibitions, and leisure entertainment to provide more recreational options for tourists and local residents, allowing them to experience traditional and authentic Macao.
Taipa Village, formerly Portuguese territory, was inhabited by fishermen. It retains architecture that blends Portuguese and Chinese styles, along with a series of pastel-colored churches and Chinese temples. Distinct from Macao's casino resorts, this historic and exotic Taipa Village is a must-visit landmark for both locals and tourists.
Museums & Exhibition Venues
Macao Basic Law Memorial Hall
