Belgian audience gets "A Taste of Hong Kong" at cross-cultural contemporary arts performances (English only) (with photo)
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For this contemporary arts encounter, ten Hong Kong artists and ten European artists based in Belgium worked in pairs to create site-specific dance and multi-art performances. For their dialogue between different cultures, the co-productions experimented with various media and reflected the artists’ thoughts on culture, tradition, space, body, relationship between arts and latest technology, as well as virtual reality among others.
The Belgian audience was not only given a taste of Hong Kong’s contemporary art and cultural landscape, but also of its exciting culinary scene. Distinguished chef George Tang gave a cookery demonstration and served her own inspired versions of classic Hong Kong “street food” - such as steamed flower roll, egg waffles and steamed crystal cake - to the delight of spectators, who queued up during the interval to taste the Hong Kong delicacies with a cup of Chinese tea.
The event was presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC), the Brussels cultural centre, the Les Halles de Schaerbeek, and sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) and the Belgium-Hong Kong Society. It was supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council; the Arts Development Fund of the Home Affairs Bureau, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and Belgian regional government body Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
The ten Hong Kong artists comprised dancers and choreographers Mui Cheuk-yin, Daniel Yeung, Yang Hao, Mao Wei and Tracy Wong; Haze (of multi-media and animation group Zcratch), Kong Kee (comics artist), Chu Pak-him (theatre actor), Frank Tang (visual artist) and Jessey Tang (film director).
Belgian artists included Elise Péroi (visual artist and textiles designer), Lola Meotti (visual artist), Piergiorgio Milano (dancer), Eric Arnal Burtschy (choreographer), Gaia Saitta (actor and choreographer), Nicanor de Elia (dancer), Rosa Schmidt (dancer), Sabrina Scarlat (dancer), Camille Panza and Pierre Mergé (actors).
As part of the cross-disciplinary art exchange, an online dialogue between Hong Kong and Belgian comics artists was launched in February. Featuring 24 comics artists from Hong Kong and Brussels, it produced 24 pieces of comics artworks inspired by the two cities. The artworks were showcased at the Comic Strip Festival of Brussels on September 2-4, where Kong Kee represented the Hong Kong comics artists. A booklet containing the comic strips was distributed to spectators of “A Taste of Hong Kong”.
Speaking at the opening, the Deputy Representative of the HKETO, Brussels, Ms Alice Choi, said that many are aware of Hong Kong as a dynamic trading hub and one of the world’s leading financial centres, but in recent years it has fast been turning into an international cultural metropolis with a distinct identity grounded in Chinese traditions with enrichment from other cultures.
“In the next few years, you will see the birth of a world-class arts and cultural district in the heart of Hong Kong - the West Kowloon Cultural District,” she said, adding that the Government has also transformed various heritage buildings into creative hubs. Some fine examples are the Comix Home Base and PMQ.
Joining Ms Choi at the opening ceremony were the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Arts Centre, Ms Connie Lam; the Chairman of the Belgium-Hong Kong Society, Mr Piet Steel; the Director of Wallonie-Bruxelles Théâtre/Danse, Ms Stéphanie Pécourt, who represented the Ministry of the Wallonie-Bruxelles Federation and Wallonie-Bruxelles International, an official body promoting performing arts; and the Director of Les Halles, Mr Christophe Galent.
Ends/Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Issued at HKT 1:55
Issued at HKT 1:55
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