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Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Henry Tang, at the opening ceremony of "Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation" exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art this evening (May 21):
Bernard (Arnault), Jean-Pierre (Thˆmbault), Mademoiselles, Mesdames, Messieurs,
Bonsoir. Je suis ravi de vous rejoindre ce soir. (in French means "Good evening, it is a pleasure to join you this evening").
During my visit to Paris last year, we reached an agreement with LVMH to bring the "Louis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation" Exhibition to Hong Kong. I am delighted to be here tonight for the opening ceremony.
We are pleased to join hands with Louis Vuitton, the Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la creation and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong in presenting the international premiere of this Exhibition.
I encourage everyone to take advantage of the golden opportunity to see this spectacular collection of modern art by world-renowned designers, architects and artists. At the same time, works from several local artists will also be on display.
It promises to be a truly novel artistic experience.
This exhibition is also one of the star attractions of Le French May Arts Festival this year. Since 1993, Le French May has enriched the lives of Hong Kong people with a wide variety of cultural events.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the Consul General of France in Hong Kong for taking the art festival to new heights.
The Hong Kong Government is committed to developing creative industries. Indeed, cultural and creative industries were recently identified as areas with good potential to strengthen our city's economic competitiveness.
We will soon open a new office called "Create Hong Kong". The office will provide a one-stop service for creative industries so we can better respond to their needs.
In the Budget this year, we also earmarked HK$300 million to support the development of creative industries over the next three years.
This is part of our wider strategy to establish Hong Kong as a centre for arts and culture in Asia. I'm pleased to tell you that we have made good progress in taking forward the West Kowloon Cultural District project. We have received valuable input and support from experts around the world on how to make the most of the site. This ambitious project will be home to a museum and no less than 15 arts venues. It will also be the place to be for people who want to enjoy the harbour and an inspiring, artistic ambience.
As well as working on a master plan for the 40-hectare site, it is important to promote cultural awareness in the community and encourage art in all its forms.
This Exhibition will help to expose the local community to the work of some of the most inspiring and refreshing artists of our time. I am confident it will inspire people to get more involved in creative activities and enhance their appreciation of the arts.
Finally, I thank the Louis Vuitton Foundation for bringing this Exhibition to Hong Kong and the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong for its work in promoting French culture here.
I wish this Exhibition every success, and I look forward to more opportunities for cultural exchange between Hong Kong and France in the future.
Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, May 21, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:51
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