14/01/2026
感謝葡文《句號報》的專訪🌷🌷🌷Thank you Ponto Final for the in-depth interview!🌷🌷🌷
（English below)
【專訪】郭恬熙新書《集起名心》（Mind to Mind）：搭建心靈之橋，勾勒澳門十八載藝術圖景
《集起名心》匯集了郭恬熙策劃的62場展覽論述，新書將於1月24日在葡文書局正式面世。
葡文書局將於1月24日迎來郭恬熙（Alice Kok）的新書發佈會。這部題為《集起名心——澳門當代藝術的多元視界：策展文選（2008-2025）》的著作，不僅是一本策展文集，更是一份珍貴的檔案，收錄了她作為全藝社（AFA）會長，在2008至2025年間於澳門策劃的62場展覽的策展評論精選。
英文書名「Mind to Mind」（意為：以心傳心）如同一面鏡子，映照出這部文集的初衷：以郭恬熙的策展視角為橋樑，連結創作者與觀者的心靈。正如她在接受《句號報》（Ponto Final）專訪時所言，這部作品本身「實則是一場心靈的匯聚」。
而中文書名「集起名心」則源自深邃的佛學語彙，寓意更為幽微：「集起」意指心識能含藏「種子」，待因緣具足，便能顯化為具體的行動與體驗。在這個隱喻的語境下，郭恬熙便是那股核心的原動力，將近二十年來在澳門這片土地上破土而出的藝術「種子」，與渴求新知的公眾緊密相連。「因此，英文書名正是意指我如何連結不同個體，透過藝術開闢出一條溝通的渠道。」
這部作品橫跨十八載，讓讀者得以一窺澳門藝術生態的滄海桑田。回首全藝社草創之初，公眾對藝術的關注尚處萌芽階段。「全藝社成立時僅有六名成員，如今已壯大至八十人，」郭恬熙道。伴隨著這座城市日益國際化、藝術化與都會化的蓬勃脈搏，協會也經歷了爆發式的成長。
邁入二十一世紀的第一個十年尾聲，澳門的文化產業方興未艾。「我們多年來付出的巨大心血，如今終見碩果」——這不僅體現在遍佈全城藝文空間的展覽與文化活動數量上，更在於大眾對藝術鑑賞力的提升。「在藝術推廣與專業化進程上，我們已今非昔比。如今，澳門每週都有新展覽，這已成為市民生活的一部分。」
回望澳門藝術史，郭恬熙也不禁審視自身作為藝術家的蛻變。「我策劃的首個展覽是在2008年，當時全藝社創辦人朱焯信（James Chu）邀請我策劃其個展。說實話，那時我還有些手足無措，」她笑著回憶。
當年的青澀與不安，早已被歲月打磨成一位成熟自信的藝術家。十八年來，她潛心鑽研藝術理論，並觀察其在澳門獨特語境下的流變。她相信讀者能從書中讀出這份成長：「越近期的文章筆觸越顯成熟，因為我始終在追求進步。」
除了少數幾篇外，文集幾乎收錄了她職業生涯的所有心血。這不僅是策展文字的堆砌，更是對展覽全貌的紀錄——從資金籌措、概念發想到藝術家甄選、作品佈置乃至宣傳推廣。「我想將這整個過程封存於書頁之中，以此樹立一座里程碑。」因此，編輯過程中最具挑戰的並非篩選文章，而是如何梳理脈絡。
「起初撰寫提案時，我就決定不以單純的『類別』劃分，而是以『導向』為經緯，」她斟酌著用詞，「比如『個人成長』、『社會關懷』、『女性專題』，以及探討澳門藝術發展的聯展等不同語境……」
兩位恩師的特別加持
雖然新書發佈會由作者親自主持，但也特別邀請了兩位重量級嘉賓：馬若龍（Carlos Marreiros）與吳衛鳴（Ung Vai Meng）。他們不僅是澳門藝壇與文化界的泰斗，於郭恬熙個人而言，更是引領她藝術之路的恩師。
與吳衛鳴的師生情誼始於2005年，時任澳門藝術博物館（MAM）館長的他，給予了郭恬熙參與協調「以身觀身」（Inward Gazes）藝術項目的機會。那是個由吳衛鳴親自策劃的全國性行為藝術專案，獲獎藝術家可赴法交流一個月。
「當時我剛從法國藝校畢業，便受邀協調此計畫。這對我的職業生涯至關重要，這份知遇之恩我銘記至今，」她強調，這第一次的接觸奠定了她個人成長的基石以及後來全藝社的發展。「我視他為首要導師，一位令人敬仰的策展人與藝術家。因此，在總結十八年心血出書之際，我自然想到了他。既由他作序，便更希望能邀他親臨現場，與讀者分享真知灼見。」
至於與馬若龍亦師亦友的關係，則源於受邀參與第二屆「ARTFEM 2020——澳門國際女藝術家雙年展」。值得一提的是，這是全球迄今唯一專注於女性藝術家的國際雙年展。
郭恬熙說，自那時起，這位建築大師便一路關注她的成長，為她解惑，兩人相處宛如師徒。「他見證了我多年的蛻變，至今我仍常向他請益，獲益良多。」
總結過去二十年，郭恬熙將目光投向未來的地平線。正如她感念前輩對其藝術人格的塑造，她堅信藝術的未來同樣繫於傳承——即對有志於藝術的年輕一代提供指導、建議與支持。
「我們的專業發展必須肩負起教育使命。我們要讓年輕人看到，藝術可以是一項嚴肅且有份量的職業選擇，」唯有如此，本地的創意脈絡方能代代相傳，日益強韌。「談論藝術文化，並非著眼於短期利益或商業回報，而是一項長遠的耕耘，如同植樹造林——其中的奧秘，正是在於前輩藝術家如何悉心灌溉，助後輩開花結果。」
Alice Kok’s New Book Bridges the Minds of Artists and the Public, Mapping the Essential Landscape of Macau Art (2008-2025)
“Mind to Mind”, a collection of essays on 62 exhibitions curated by Alice Kok, will be presented at the Livraria Portuguesa on January 24th.
The Livraria Portuguesa is set to host the launch event for Alice Kok’s new book on January 24th. Titled “Mind to Mind – The Diverse Horizons of Macao Contemporary Art: A Selection of Curatorial Essays (2008-2025)”, the work gathers a collection of essays regarding 62 exhibitions inaugurated in Macau between 2008 and 2025, all curated by the president of the Art for All Society (AFA).
The title “Mind to Mind” serves as a mirror to the anthology's purpose: connecting the minds of artists with the minds of the audience through a bridge formed by Alice Kok’s curation. The work itself “is, in truth, a collection of minds,” the curator explains in conversation with Ponto Final.
The Chinese title expands on this idea by utilizing an expression of Buddhist origin which, simply put, signifies that the mind possesses the capacity to accumulate “seeds” and manifest them into concrete actions and experiences once the right conditions arise. In the context of this metaphor, Alice Kok is the fundamental driving force uniting the “seeds” of art that have sprouted in the territory over nearly two decades with a public thirsty for knowledge. “The English title, therefore, refers to the way I connect different people and create a channel of communication through art.”
The book’s broad temporal coverage allows readers to follow the artistic transformations that have occurred in Macau over the last 18 years, a period when AFA was still taking its first steps and the public’s relationship with art was much more modest. “When AFA was founded, it had only six members, and now it has 80,” notes the curator. The association “grew exponentially” during this period, keeping pace with the vibrant rhythm of an increasingly cosmopolitan, artistic, and international city.
At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, “the cultural industry was just beginning” to take shape. “We made a great effort, and that effort is currently revealing itself”—not only in the number of exhibitions and cultural initiatives unfolding across the city’s art spaces but also in terms of artistic appreciation. “We have evolved a lot in terms of dissemination and the professionalisation of art. The public is now more accustomed to Macau having exhibitions every week.”
In looking back at Macau’s art, it is inevitable to also contemplate her own evolution as an artist. “The first exhibition I organized was in 2008, when James Chu, the founding member of AFA, invited me to curate his solo exhibition. At the time, I didn't really know what to do,” she confesses with a laugh.
That initial insecurity gave way to an experienced and self-assured artist who has dedicated the last 18 years to exploring art theory and observing how it metamorphoses within the specific context of Macau. It is an evolution that she believes will also be perceptible to the book’s readers: “I would say the more recent texts are better, as I have strived to become better and better.”
With the exception of “two or three texts” left aside, the anthology aggregates practically all the works she has participated in throughout her career. And these are not just curatorial texts: “I also plan the entire exhibition, including funding and the conceptual proposal, choosing the artist, working with the artworks, preparing promotions… It is a whole process that I wanted to immortalize in the book, as if to mark the achievement of a milestone.” Consequently, the most challenging part of editing the book was not selecting the texts, but dividing them into different thematic chapters.
“From the beginning, when I wrote the proposal for this book, I decided I wanted to separate the texts into different categories,” she clarifies, hesitating on the last word. “Not categories: orientations. Different contexts, such as ‘personal growth’, ‘social care’, a section dedicated to women, another on collective exhibitions regarding the development of art in Macau…”
Special Participation of Two Mentors
Although the event at Livraria Portuguesa features a presentation by the author herself, there is also space for the intervention of two special guests: Carlos Marreiros and Ung Vai Meng. More than just two prominent figures in Macau’s arts and culture, they are, from a more personal perspective, mentors of immense importance to Alice Kok’s artistic development.
Ung Vai Meng’s mentorship dates back to 2005, when the painter held the position of director of the Macao Museum of Art (MAM). “It was he who gave me the opportunity to help coordinate an art project at the museum called ‘Inward Gaze’,” she recalls. It was a national performance art project commissioned by Ung Vai Meng himself, in which all awarded artists were entitled to participate in a one-month exchange program in France.
“Since I had just graduated from an art school in France, I was invited to coordinate this program. It was very important for my career, and I have always been grateful for the opportunity,” she acknowledges, stressing that this first contact consolidated into a mentorship relationship essential to her own growth as an artist—and to the development of AFA later on.
“I view him very much as my main mentor; a highly regarded curator and artist whose work I admire immensely. So, for this occasion where I wrote a book after 18 years of work, of course, I thought of him. Since he wrote the preface to my book, I invited him to come to the launch to share his ideas with the audience.”
Regarding the professional relationship and friendship with Carlos Marreiros, it all began with an invitation to join the second edition of ARTFEM 2020 – The International Women Artists Biennale of Macau. An initiative that, it is worth noting, was unprecedented globally: to date, it continues to hold the title of the only international biennale dedicated exclusively to women artists.
Alice Kok relates that since then, the architect has followed the development of her path and clarified doubts that arise along the way, in a dynamic that almost resembles that of a student and teacher. “He has watched me grow throughout all these years, and we still meet very frequently when I have questions. He teaches me a lot.”
Having finished reflecting on the last two decades, Alice Kok now dares to guess what lies beyond the horizon in the coming years. Just as she recognizes the role of older and more experienced artists in building her artistic identity, she believes that the future of art lies in precisely the same strategy—mentorship, advice, and support for young people who are still only considering a potential future in art.
“Our professional development must continue with an educational mission. We need to help younger people view art as a substantial professional choice,” contributing to the region's creative fabric continuing to strengthen from generation to generation. “When we talk about art and culture, we are not talking about a short-term achievement or a commercial investment. It is something long-term, like planting a tree—and the secret is for more experienced artists to help the younger ones flourish.”
O novo livro de Alice Kok constrói uma ponte entre a mente dos artistas e a mente do público, desenhando um mapa essencial à compreensão da paisagem artística de Macau entre 2008 e 2025. “Mind to Mind”, uma colecção de ensaios sobre 68 exposições com curadoria de Alice Kok, vai ser apre...
