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An exhibition entitled "The Past is Continuing" will be held at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum from tomorrow (April 11). The exhibition invites its audience to embark on a tour of the past re-invented by 18 contemporary artists, providing them with a new visiting experience.
The opening ceremony for the exhibition was held today (April 10). The officiating guests included the Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Culture), Dr Louis Ng; the Chairman of the Art Museum Advisory Panel, Mr Vincent Lo; the Museum Expert Advisor, Professor Sophia Law; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Ms Fione Lo.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr Ng said that history is not simply a matter of the past, but is inextricably connected with people and things today. Therefore, the role and meaning of a museum is not just to showcase its collection and disseminate knowledge, but also to help the audience understand history and culture and explore their relationship with history, and to facilitate dialogue between the audience and history. Visitors can understand the past, contemplate the present and look forward to the future through the treasure trove of the museum.
He said, "The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is committed to preserving and promoting the history, culture and arts of Hong Kong through collections in different forms and aspects, enabling us to understand the lifestyles in the past. The exhibition 'The Past is Continuing' is not only a dialogue between local artists and history, but is also inheriting and passing on our culture."
For the exhibition, 18 contemporary artists have drawn inspiration from historical and cultural artefacts in the Heritage Museum's permanent galleries to create artworks in different media, such as painting, ceramics, product design, fashion design, new media, music, sculpture, photography, installation and mixed media. The artworks embody both traditional and contemporary philosophies, and try to reinterpret tradition in a contemporary context.
These artworks reflect the unique characteristics of local art and will be distributed and displayed in several permanent galleries of the Heritage Museum, including the New Territories Heritage Hall, the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, the T.T. Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art and the corridors at the first and second floors.
When visiting the exhibition, visitors will feel like they have boarded a train that travels through time and space to offer a dialogue with history. On the way, they will see scenes of China over the centuries and the changes of Hong Kong in the past years. They will meet trendy ladies with self-confidence, revolutionaries with relentless effort, and liberal-minded literati with ambition, and they can also admire traditional performances, dedicated craftsmanship and touching stories.
The exhibition will run until September 28. The Hong Kong Heritage Museum is located at 1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin.
Ends/Friday, April 10, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:02
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