Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at the opening ceremony of "Odysseys of Art: Masterpieces Collected by the Princes of Liechtenstein" today (November 8):

Your Serene Highnesses (H.S.H. Prince Hans-Adam II, Reigning Prince of the House of Liechtenstein and H.S.H. Princess Adelheid Coudenhove-Kalergi of the House of Liechtenstein), Dr Henri Leimer (Chief Executive Officer of LGT Private Banking Asia), Dr Johann Kräftner (Director of the Liechtenstein Princely Collections), Mr Henry Tang (Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority), Ms Winnie Tam (Chairman of the Board of the Hong Kong Palace Museum), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

     Good afternoon. It gives me great pleasure to officiate at the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Odysseys of Art: Masterpieces Collected by the Princes of Liechtenstein". First of all, allow me to extend my warmest welcome to His Serene Highness Prince Hans-Adam II and Her Serene Highness Princess Adelheid, who are here with us today in Hong Kong to grace the opening of this important exhibition.

     This is the first time the Liechtenstein Princely Collections are displayed in Hong Kong, after successful tours at the National Museum of China in Beijing and other major museums around the world. With over 120 pieces of priceless treasures in this exhibition, including paintings, tapestries and sculptures, art lovers can enjoy a visual and cultural feast, here at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. The Liechtenstein princes have ushered in a golden age of art patronage and collection since the 17th century, and assembled one of the most important private art collections in the world. 

     Around the same time, art flourished in China. Many of the national treasures in the Forbidden City, dating back to the Qing dynasty, are displayed here at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. With the support of the Palace Museum in Beijing, this remarkable building is not only the latest world-class addition to our blossoming West Kowloon Cultural District, but also the ideal ground for meaningful dialogue between China and the world in arts and culture, a fact no less accentuated by the showcase of the stunning artwork collection of the Princes of Liechtenstein.

     The exhibition is staged at a most fitting juncture, as Hong Kong embarks on its new mission to develop into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, a positioning supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.  

     In my Policy Address delivered last month, I announced new measures to expedite Hong Kong's transformation into an arts and cultural hub connecting China with all parts of the world. We will launch a new 10-year development blueprint on arts and cultural infrastructural facilities, and set up a new fund to support the hosting of arts and cultural mega events in Hong Kong. We will also expand our support to our young artists and budding art groups. 

     No doubt, we will also continue to seize upon the unique strengths of the West Kowloon Cultural District in showcasing Hong Kong’s thriving ecosystem in the creative sector. We endeavour to foster the exchange across civilisations, and tell the captivating stories of Hong Kong and our motherland in the global arena.

     I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the co-organiser of this exhibition – the prestigious Liechtenstein Princely Collections; and the exhibition’s principal sponsor - LGT Private Banking. Their generous loans and sponsorship, as well as their confidence in Hong Kong, have made this important exhibition possible, and you have enabled art lovers in Hong Kong to appreciate these masterpieces without travelling.
 
     Last but not least, may I wish everybody good health and the exhibition great success. Thank you.

Ends/Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Issued at HKT 18:53

NNNN