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Hong Kong is participating in Art Basel this year (June 15 to 19) for the first time. Osage Gallery is the first gallery from Hong Kong to participate in Art Basel and is highlighting the work of Lee Kit, an artist who says that "Painting is the means to convey the faint consciousness resulting from our emotions" and has drawn on his creative ideas by setting up a model Hong Kong residential show flat. Osage Gallery, headed by Ms Agnes Lin, exhibits and promotes international and Asian contemporary visual art and seeks to explore diverse and complex artistic relationships across different Asian regions and other parts of the world.
Speaking at Art Basel, the Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO, Berlin), Mr Stephen Wong, said, "The Hong Kong Government supports arts and culture in the city as a policy in line with the core values of Hong Kong as a free, diversified and open society. Its cultural policy comprises four major elements: respect freedom of creation and expression; provide opportunities for wider participation; encourage diversified and balanced development; and provide a supportive environment and conditions (venues, funding, education and administration). As a facilitator, the Government is committed to upholding the freedom of cultural and artistic creation and expression, as well as providing an environment that supports the development of culture and the arts, both contemporary and traditional."
Mr Wong also met with the Director of the Basel Art Centre and the Art Basel Co-Directors to explore possible ways forward in cooperation and promoting art and culture. Earlier on, a briefing on the proposed revitalisation of Central Police Station was given by the Basel-based architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron. Mr Wong also attended a dinner reception hosted by Ms Lin of Osage Gallery.
The Executive Director of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) Authority M+, Dr Lars Nittve, and the Curator of the WKCD Authority M+, Mr Tobias Berger, also joined the fair. The WKCD is a strategic arts and culture infrastructure project that the Hong Kong Government is developing. It will include a major cultural institution with museum functions, M+, focusing on 20th century and 21st century visual culture. Dr Nittve promoted M+ by giving a dedicated talk on the institution during the fair as well as meeting with counterparts and galleries from all over the world.
Creative industries seminars in Cologne and Berlin
In connection with this, and continuing the work of promoting Hong Kong arts and culture to the audiences in Europe, Mr Wong gave a presentation at a seminar entitled "Creative Industries in Hong Kong" in Cologne on June 16. Mr Wong talked about cooperation between Hong Kong and Germany in creative industries, in particular on design. He said, "The competitiveness of creative industries in Hong Kong is amazing and impressive. There has been growing creative industry cooperation between Hong Kong and Germany. In June, for instance, a delegation of 12 young Hong Kong designers participated at the International Design Festival (DMY) Berlin 2011. During the festival from June 1 to 5, the talented designers presented their works in a Hong Kong urban setting to European audiences." Other speakers at the seminar included Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Andrew Davis, and Chief Operating Officer of Hong Kong Cyberport, Mr Mark Clift.
In a lunch seminar on creative industries was also organised in Berlin on June 17. Welcoming guests at the lunch seminar, Mr Wong said, "We are very proud and pleased that Germany is the partner country of the Business of Design Week in Hong Kong this year, since my office has been working closely with the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, as well as the International Design Centre and the German Design Council, in promoting the partnership. In March this year, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mrs Rita Lau, together with the Chairman of the Hong Kong Design Centre, Dr Victor Lo, led a 20-strong delegation conducting an official visit to Germany as the partner country, and the visit was a great success. I am confident the collaboration between Germany and Hong Kong will continue to flourish. My office will continue to promote and support this partnership and we look forward to welcoming all of you to Hong Kong later this year."
About Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin
HKETO, Berlin was the Hong Kong Government's first overseas representative office established after Hong Kong's reunification with China in 1997. It is the official Hong Kong Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Switzerland as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. As part of its work in promoting Hong Kong's arts and culture in Europe, the HKETO, Berlin is currently staging an exhibition until December this year called "Hong Kong: Creative Ecologies" in its office to showcase the iconic works of Hong Kong's leading designers and creative disciplines. The exhibition covers work ranging from fashion and luxury goods to product and spatial design and service systems, and is composed of a focused selection of exhibits shown at the Expo 2010 Shanghai China. HKETO, Berlin can be contacted at satd@hketoberlin.gov.hk and by telephone on +49 30 22 66 77 234. More information can be found at www.hketoberlin.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, June 16, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:44
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