ARTFEM, Women Artists 1^st Macau International Biennial thanks Dr. Alexis Tam Chon Weng, Honorable Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, the Macau SAR Government Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Macau Museum of Art, the Macau Foundation, as well as the private institutions that sponsored this event and personalities who joined our Council of Honour for their support, sponsorship and encouragement.

ARTFEM is equally grateful to all participating artists of this inaugural edition. ARTFEM presented more than 130 artists coming from five continents. We are equally indebted to Godmother Dame Paula Rego, an internationally reputed artist, still active and with a brilliant and long artistic career.

ARTFEM is a dream nurtured since 2000, which was brought to life through the Albergue SCM creative and cultural space, which recurrently organizes exhibitions and seminars.

On the spirit of “One Belt, One Road” Albergue SCM inaugurated on March 8, 2017, a collective exhibition dedicated to women artists. It brought together women artists from Portuguese speaking countries such as Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe and Timor-Leste. The success of this event led to grow it into a larger and international exhibition. 

ARTFEM starts under the lunar sign of the Dog, a female symbol in Chinese astrology, related to fidelity and daily practice. The contribution of women for the benefit of mankind is vast and wide-ranging, including in the arts.

ARTFEM will provide Macau, the region and the world with a topical contemporary art event every other year.