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A large-scale exhibition entitled "Legacy and Creations", which will comprise the sections "Ink Art vs Ink Art" and "Art vs Art" originally presented at the Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) last year, will be held at the Hong Kong Museum of Art from tomorrow (May 27) to August 28.
The exhibition was officially opened today (May 26) by the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mrs Betty Fung; the Chairman of the Art Museum Advisory Panel, Mr Vincent Lo; the museum expert advisers to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), Mr Wucius Wong and Dr Victor Lai; artist Mr Liu Guosong; and the Chief Curator of the Museum of Art, Mr Tang Hoi-chiu.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mrs Fung noted that the Shanghai Expo was the largest of its kind in terms of scale and the number of visitors. She said Hong Kong had made every effort in taking part in this international event. The LCSD was responsible for coordinating Hong Kong artists and art groups to present 47 performances in Shanghai and organised two large-scale visual arts exhibitions, "Legacy and Creations - Ink Art vs Ink Art" in collaboration with the Shanghai Art Museum and "Legacy and Creations - Art vs Art" organised with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai. Attracting more than 40 000 visitors, these two exhibitions found great success and received an overwhelming response from the Mainland and overseas visitors.
"The two exhibitions not only enhanced the artistic exchange between Shanghai and Hong Kong, but also gave Mainland audiences a better understanding of the uniqueness and diversity of Hong Kong's culture. 'Ink Art vs Ink Art' was highly acclaimed by Mainland artists in Shanghai and was subsequently invited to be a highlight programme of the 7th International Ink Art Biennale of Shenzhen held last December," Mrs Fung said.
"These two acclaimed exhibitions have been brought back to Hong Kong for display at the Museum of Art, enabling the general public of Hong Kong to appreciate the distinguished creations of local ink painters and contemporary artists."
Ink art is a unique form of representation in Chinese art and culture. Having developed and evolved over a period of more than 1 000 years, ink art has become a fusion of the essence and accomplishments of different masters and schools from the past and the present. It has transcended time and nationality, inspiring new artistic explorations while playing a vital role in showcasing the spirit and identity of Chinese art from an international perspective. The Hong Kong Museum of Art thus made use of the platform provided by the Shanghai Expo last year to showcase this unique Chinese art form. Representative paintings and works of calligraphy by more than 40 senior and young ink artists were shown to the world to demonstrate how the medium has blended Asian and Western elements, together with local characteristics, to shape a highly modern ink art scene that features a contemporary flavour and reflects the uniqueness of ink art in Hong Kong today.
The "Ink Art vs Ink Art" section of the current exhibition starts with various masters of the 1960s and 1970s, including the initiator of the New Ink Painting movement, Lu Shoukun, and another pioneer of modern Chinese ink painting, Liu Guosong. They both had a profound influence on new ink painting in the decades that followed. In the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong artists started diversifying in terms of their artistic exploration of the realm of ink art, which was characterised by the assimilation of Chinese and Western aesthetics as well as local characteristics. Entering the new millennium, the younger generation of artists experimented and pursued concepts, thematic representations and techniques that marked new breakthroughs and pointed to a cross-media, cross-cultural course of development. Through this exhibition, visitors will be able to get a glimpse of the unique artistic language and characteristics of Hong Kong ink art.
The "Art vs Art" section lays out the impact of global culture on contemporary art from a latitudinal perspective. The works of 19 leading figures from the fields of art, design, architecture, literature, music and dance in Hong Kong are featured. Their respective fields of expertise are the basis on which they begin their artistic dialogue with other disciplines. By using different materials and symbols, the artists are able to cross boundaries and hence create new interpretations and interactions in Hong Kong's contemporary art scene. Not only have they traversed freely between various realms of creation, their works also bear the marks of a mixed culture, displaying the advantages of a city's multicultural background. They employ their individual visions and sensitivity to probe and investigate Hong Kong, a unique city with highly mobile and mutable characteristics. In addition, they examine the city's metropolitan space, the phenomena of its society, its popular culture, its vision and world view, as well as the amalgamation and integration of the city's humanistic spirit, incorporating the Eastern and Western elements that coexist in Hong Kong. In the end, they have surpassed the predetermined rules of the art system and empowered their artistic creations with the utmost energy and vitality.
To tie in with the exhibition, artists Wilson Shieh and Koon Wai-bong, and cartoonist Kong Khong-chang, have been invited to give art demonstrations on July 13, July 20 and August 24, respectively, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm at the museum. The demonstrations, in Cantonese, will be free and 50 seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Museum of Art is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It opens from 10am to 6pm daily and from 10am to 8pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Thursdays (except public holidays). Admission is $10 and a half-price concession is available to full-time students, senior citizens and people with disabilities. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
For further information, call 2721 0116 or visit the Museum of Art's website at hk.art.museum.
Ends/Thursday, May 26, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:53
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