Speech by SCST at preview and opening reception of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia - A Conversation
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at the preview and opening reception of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia - A Conversation today (March 13):
Mr Henry Tang (Chairman of the Board of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority), Mr Bernard Chan (Chairman of the M+ Board), Mr Nicolas D Hunsworth (Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club), Mrs Christile Drulhe (Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macao), Mrs Cécile Debray (President of the Musée national Picasso-Paris), Ms Pansy Ho (Co-chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening and a very warm welcome to a full house of audience here. I'm so happy to see you all. I am most delighted to be in M+ Museum with you all here tonight to celebrate the opening of this extraordinary exhibition "the Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia – A Conversation". The power of artwork in telling stories and evoking emotions is universally acknowledged, and I believe art lovers would agree with me that Pablo Picasso is a master of the masters in terms of his ability to highlight, or more precisely, to breakdown the subject of his paintings to evoke a strong sense of emotion in the viewers.
I know that this exhibition, which features over 60 of Picasso's materpieces in dialogue with works from the M+ Collections by Asian and Asian-diasporic artists, has been long-awaited and eagerly anticipated by many, including me of course. Instead of a straightforward showcase of famous pieces, this exhibition shows innovative curatorial vision by creating a dynamic conversation between the brilliance of Piccaso's work and the richness of Asia's artistic traditions.
This innovative curatorial approach aligns perfectly with the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development promulgated by my Bureau (Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau) in November 2024. The Blueprint sets out, among other important features, a clear vision of Hong Kong becoming an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, under which we would like to attract tourists through international arts and cultural exhibitions and performances, thereby promoting the integration of culture and tourism.
High quality exhibition such as today's will certainly help Hong Kong leap forward towards fulfilling the vision and, as a result, it should not come as any surprise that this exhibition is supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under my Bureau, and that it is high on our list of signature events in the Hong Kong Super March programme.
Indeed, this March, Hong Kong is filled with a fascinating array of world-class events attracting participants from various sectors, and tourists from all over the world. Apart from the official opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park, World Snooker Grand Prix (2025) and LIV Golf (Hong Kong) 2025 that took place in the past fortnight, upcoming highly anticipated events in the lineup include ComplexCon Hong Kong, Art Central, Art Basel Hong Kong and Hong Kong Sevens, just to name a few.
I sincerely invite all of you, my friends, to take part in at least some of these exciting Super March events.
Before I close, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible efforts of M+ Museum in presenting this eye-opening and thought-provoking exhibition. My special thanks also go to Musée national Picasso-Paris for co-curating the exhibition.
May I wish the exhibition every success and everyone here an enjoyable evening. Thank you.
Government concludes eighth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units
Today (April 27) is the eighth day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Five high-zone floors of Wang Cheong House and 10 middle-zone floors of Wang Tao House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.
A total of 116 households (403 people) registered to return to their units today through the "one social worker per household" service, while 119 households (443 people) actually turned up.
The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was two hours and 32 minutes, with the shortest time being 17 minutes and the longest three hours and 45 minutes. About 65 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than three hours. About 23 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than two hours. About 5 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour.
A total of 60 households (124 people) went up and down the building more than once. Among them, 30 households (74 people) made one additional trip, 17 households (31 people) made two additional trips, 9 households (13 people) made three additional trips, 1 household (3 people) made four additional trips, and 3 households (3 people) made five additional trips.
The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received 10 cases requesting police assistance.
The 10 cases requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including watches, jewellery, cash and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in three cases. In two cases, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. In another three cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units, and the residents could not provide details on the property concerned. For the remaining two cases, the Police will make further investigation.
The Government spares no effort in supporting the residents returning to their units. Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members. The "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism has also been activated to bring together greater interdepartmental resources to support residents.
Under the "Government-wide Mobilisation" mechanism, the Civil Service Bureau has co-ordinated nine government departments to mobilise civil servants to form the Government Quick Response Unit to support these access arrangements. These civil servants come from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), the Environmental Protection Department, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the Lands Department (LandsD), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), the Post Office, and the Water Supplies Department (WSD). They will form dedicated teams with social workers and clinical psychologists from the SWD, stationed on different floors to provide support to residents returning to their units. The civil servants mobilised in the first three days were from the AFCD, those mobilised from the fourth day to the sixth day are from the EMSD and the LCSD, while those mobilised from the seventh day to the ninth day (including today) are from the LandsD and the WSD.
Government concludes eighth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Government concludes eighth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Government concludes eighth-day arrangements for Wang Fuk Court residents returning to their units Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
