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Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the opening ceremony of Fine Art Asia 2013 today (October 3):
Andy, Calvin (Co-chairmen and Directors of Fine Art Asia), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to join you all here at the opening ceremony of Fine Art Asia 2013.
Since its inception in 2006, the Art and Antique International Fair Limited has organised eight international art fairs in Hong Kong, all of which have been well received by dealers, collectors and art lovers from all around the world. The Fine Art Asia 2013, being the ninth edition of the fair, will continue to provide a platform for some 100 world-renowned galleries to display more than 6,500 pieces of high-quality works.
The artworks showcased at the fair come from both the East and the West, demonstrating to the international art world the cultural diversity of Hong Kong. As one of the most prominent arts and cultural hubs in Asia, Hong Kong has a very diverse, vibrant and unique cultural scene, interwoven with Chinese and Western traditions. Through a wide spectrum of cultural and arts programmes, one can discover how different cultures interplay in Hong Kong and a chemistry so created.
The Hong Kong SAR Government has always been very supportive of the promotion and development of the cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong. Apart from supporting the preservation of our traditional cultures and encouraging artistic creation and innovation, we believe that arts and cultural facilities and cultural software are of crucial importance. In this regard, we have been pressing ahead with the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) project which is the largest arts and culture project in Hong Kong to date. The construction of the first landmark performing arts venue, the Xiqu Centre or the Chinese Opera Centre, has commenced with the ground-breaking ceremony taking place last Tuesday, while we also announced the winning design of M+, the museum for visual culture, in June this year. As both the Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, I want to take this opportunity to assure you that the Government remains very committed to developing the WKCD into a world-class hub of arts and culture despite the challenge of rising construction costs.
The art fair business certainly has an important role to play in contributing to the diversity of our cultural scene. With vibrant artworks trading, Hong Kong has developed into one of the new driving hubs of the global art market. I am pleased to see more international art fairs, like Fine Art Asia, staging in Hong Kong. I am sure that Fine Art Asia will not only attract a sophisticated audience of major art dealers and collectors from Asia and all around the world. It will also provide our local art enthusiasts with an eye-opening opportunity to appreciate the beauty of renowned artworks.
May I wish Fine Art Asia 2013 remarkable success. Thank you very much.
Ends/Thursday, October 3, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:59
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