"Hong Kong Week 2015@Taipei" showcases Hong Kong arts legacy (with photos)

     
The annual cultural exchange event of Hong Kong and Taiwan, Hong Kong Week, had its grand opening in Taipei today (September 10). The event is presented by the Hong Kong-Taiwan Cultural Co-operation Committee (HKTCCC) in association with the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (HKETCO), and supported by the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. With the theme this year of "Arts through Time", Hong Kong Week will feature a wide and exciting range of programmes and extension activities to showcase the creation and passing on of legacies in different artistic fields in Hong Kong.

The Convenor of the HKTCCC, Dr Fredric Mao, said that apart from showcasing Hong Kong's arts and culture to Taiwan, Hong Kong Week also serves to strengthen interaction and co-operation between the two places. This annual event is held smoothly every year with the support of the arts and cultural sectors of the two places as well as audiences in Taiwan. 

The Director of the HKETCO, Mr Rex Chang, said that Hong Kong Week serves as a platform for arts and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Taiwan, and demonstrates the cultural characteristics of Hong Kong to members of the public in Taiwan. Being held for the fourth time this year, Hong Kong Week will continue to showcase the characteristics of Hong Kong through exhibitions and programmes. In connection with the theme, the HKETCO has also organised a performing arts forum. Iconic theatre figures Dr Mao, Willy Tsao and Law Wing-fai will engage in dialogues with arts practitioners in Taiwan and share their views with Taiwan audiences on performing arts development and talent training.

The exhibitions this year include "In the Name of Art - Hong Kong Contemporary Art Exhibition", co-organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei. The exhibition presents the works of contemporary artists in Hong Kong who have drawn on their personal experiences to pose thought-provoking questions and reflect on today's society and ways of life. In addition, Create Hong Kong has organised two exhibitions, including "Exhibition of Hong Kong Author of the Year", which displays for the first time the works of six leading Hong Kong authors together. The exhibition illustrates the literary artistry, writing journeys and world views of the selected Hong Kong authors through text, visual images and multimedia interactive presentations. The other exhibition, entitled "Past. Present. Future. - Tracking Hong Kong Architecture", is the first architectural exhibition of Hong Kong Week. By showcasing winning projects of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects Annual Awards from the past 50 years, the 10 most liked Hong Kong architecture projects of the century selected by the public and selected works of young Hong Kong architects, the exhibition offers a retrospective and heralds future directions for Hong Kong's architecture and urban planning.

On performing arts, three iconic figures in Hong Kong's performing arts scene - Chung King-fai, Willy Tsao and Law Wing-fai, who strive for excellence in their respective art forms - will take part in three exciting performing arts programmes. Chung and his pupil Chan Kwok-pong will touch the hearts of theatre-goers in "Tuesdays with Morrie" adapted from a best seller by Chung Ying Theatre Company. Led by Artistic Director Willy Tsao, City Contemporary Dance Company is presenting "As If To Nothing", an adrenaline-packed and interactive multimedia work, created by the internationally acclaimed choreographer Sang Jijia. Featuring electronic music and interactive videos, this tour de force is an extremely physical and emotional performance. "When Petals Fall in Serenity - Atmospheric Music Theatre" by Law Wing-fai puts Dunhuang culture as the background and music performance as the main focus, and expresses insight into life through the inner power of the performers.

A wide range of extension activities such as workshops and seminars will also take place in Taipei, allowing the people of Taiwan to fully experience the unique glamour of Hong Kong's arts and culture. For programme details of Hong Kong Week, please visit its official website at www.hongkongweek-taiwan.hk or the fan page of Hong Kong Week at www.facebook.com/hongkongweektaiwan.hk. 

In connection with Hong Kong Week, the HKETCO has also set up an installation at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park to screen clips containing sketches of Hong Kong, giving members of the public in Taiwan a taste of Hong Kong's unique glamour and history. The HKETCO will also publish the latest issue of "Art & Culture@Hong Kong" to introduce the traditions, modern ways of living and the culture of Hong Kong from perspectives such as arts, culture, life and creativity, showcasing the pluralistic side of Hong Kong to its readers.

The HKTCCC was established as Hong Kong's counterpart of the Cultural Co-operation Committee under the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council in Taiwan. It aims to foster exchanges, liaison and co-operation between Taiwan and Hong Kong in the development of arts and culture and the creative industries, as well as to communicate and exchange information on issues of mutual concern. 

Hong Kong Week 2015 is the fourth series of activities launched by the HKTCCC in Taipei. The themes of the past three series were "Culture & Creativity @ Taipei", "Legacies and Innovations" and "Hong Kong Folklore‧Literary Footprints". The exciting range of programmes for audiences in Taiwan have showcased Hong Kong's creative energy as a cultural metropolis.

Thursday, September 10, 2015