Opening Remarks by Mr Ma Fung-kwok, SBS, JP
Commissioner, Hong Kong, China Exhibition
Chairman, Hong Kong Arts Development Council
Date: September 8, 2006
Venue: Campo della Tana, Venice, Italy

Prof Bernard Lim, honourable guests and friends in Venice,

It gives me great pleasure to be here today on this momentous occasion, the first time the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, showcases our architectural arts in this international event under the name "Hong Kong, China".

However, this is by no means the first appearance for "Hong Kong, China" in Venice since we have been presenting the works of Hong Kong artists at the International Art Exhibition since 2001.  During the past three biennale, we successfully introduced our visual artists and their works to the international arena, demonstrating their strengths and uniqueness.

As Asia's world city, Hong Kong has developed its own distinctive architectural personality in high rise, high density environment. This achievement has been well acknowledged in the international community. By participating in the renowned Venice Biennale, Hong Kong will present to the world the many facets of its architectural arts and urban design. The exhibition is a manifestation of the creativity and plurality of a group of architects, urban designers, scholars and visual artists. One of the exhibits, in particular, is the joint effort of Hong Kong architects and Videotage, a visual arts group supported by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Their works demonstrate the unique style and feature of the city in Hong Kong.

I believe our participation in the Venice Biennale is an important part of the exchange and communication between Hong Kong and the international community. We hope it will enable our architectural sector to establish a close relationship with its counterparts in the rest of the world so as to be able to further widen its vision and knowledge.

As a co-organiser, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council not only provides a strategic venue for the exhibition and supports the King's Harmonica Quintet for staging such a fascinating performance for us, but also draws on its experiences in planning, co-ordination and implementation. In the past few months, we have been working closely with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects and the three young curators. It was a wonderful experience having a crossover project with the architectural world. This certainly helps us explore more of such co-operative opportunities in the future with other sectors to promote the arts in Hong Kong.

Last but not least, my heartfelt thanks must go to the Home Affairs Bureau of the HKSAR Government whose support is vital to make this event possible and Prof Bernard Lim, the Steering Committee, the curators, the exhibitors, and all the supporting staff. Without their tireless efforts, this exhibition would not have materialised into such a success.

Thank you.