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Five Korean artists are expressing what they have seen, felt and experienced in Hong Kong through their artworks at the "Colours of Hong Kong" exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and the Hong Kong Tourism Board in Seoul, Korea.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition today (July 24), the Principal Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative, Ms Sally Wong, noted that Hong Kong has a long history of open borders and open minds. "We have a rich cultural life that embraces the arts and traditions of both East and West," she said.
"Hong Kong is a city of creativity and character, where the business of arts and culture is growing fast. Our policy is to create a friendly environment for creativity and diversity, which is the essential nutrition for artistic expression and creation.
"Our safeguards and respect for freedom of speech and expression are enshrined in the Basic Law. We also devote substantial resources to nurturing talent and encouraging creativity and innovation."
Ms Wong said that the art scene in Hong Kong is alive throughout the year with an array of culture and art activities, such as Art Basel, the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Le French May, the International Arts Carnival, the New Vision Arts Festival and the World Cultures Festival.
There are also many exciting developments in Hong Kong's arts and cultural scene, such as the development of the West Kowloon Cultural District on a prime waterfront site, the conversion of a historic building - the Former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road - into a focal point for designers, and the opening of Comix Home Base, which showcases Hong Kong comics.
"It is our policy to foster cultural links with different countries, such as Korea, to enrich the development of culture and the arts in Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong and Korea have very close ties on many fronts, including trade and tourism. We look forward to establishing even closer cultural links between the two places in the future," Ms Wong added.
The Korean artists taking part in the "Colours of Hong Kong" exhibition are Kim Sung-ho, Jang Seung-hyo, Won Seung-won, Do Min and Shin Gun-woo. They have been actively engaged in culture and art exchange between Hong Kong and Korea and were invited to visit Hong Kong for six days to find inspiration and gather experiences for their artworks.
The artists' impressions were eventually expressed through various art forms, including painting, photography and sculpture, when they returned to Korea.
The artworks will be on display in Seoul until July 31 (Wednesday) at the Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Ganainsa Art Center, Kwanhoon-dong, Jongno-gu.
Ends/Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:05
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