Following is the speech by the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau, at the opening ceremony of "Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China" today (July 27):
Bernard (Chairman of the M+ Board, Mr Bernard Chan), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good evening. It is my great pleasure to join you tonight at the opening ceremony of the M+'s new special exhibition, "Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China".
Opening to the public this Saturday, this is the first-ever museum exhibition in the world dedicated to Song Huai-Kuei, a legendary cultural icon. The exhibition illustrates Madame Song's life from the 1950s to the early 2000s. At the time when we mark the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening up this year, the exhibition timely offers a lens to the audience to appreciate the diversification and internationalisation of Chinese visual culture covering art, film, music and fashion after the country's reform and opening up. It also unveils how the Chinese artists, film and fashion creators integrate their unique cultural elements into their works and bring fine traditions of Chinese culture to the world.
With such intriguing cultural offerings presented in the West Kowloon Cultural District, I am pleased to see the number of Mainland and overseas visitors to M+ has continued to increase. During the Labour Day Golden Week holiday this year, M+ recorded a remarkable visitation figure of 74 000 visitors. The museum has become one of the most popular cultural tourism destinations in the city.
Hong Kong has been given a mission in the National 14th Five-Year Plan to develop into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. To expedite our efforts in fulfilling the mission, the current-term Government has established the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund to promote the staging of more international arts and cultural events in Hong Kong. The Madame Song exhibition is one of the first few projects launched with the support of the Fund, with which we aspire to develop Hong Kong into an arts and cultural metropolis and provide opportunities for the arts and cultural sector to thrive.
Looking ahead, we will continue to leverage on the distinctive advantages of the West Kowloon Cultural District and make good use of Hong Kong's rich cultural resources to tell the good stories of Hong Kong and our motherland.
Last but not least, may I express thanks to Madame Song's family, all the institutions and corporates that have given support to this special exhibition, as well as the M+ team and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. I wish the event a major success and all of you an enjoyable evening. Thank you.
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