The LCSD manages seven major museums: the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, the Hong Kong Science Museum, the Hong Kong Space Museum, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, and the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. Their roles are to acquire, conserve, research, exhibit and interpret both Hong Kong’s tangible and its intangible cultural heritage.
The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence presents Hong Kong's 600-year history of coastal defence.
The department also manages the Hong Kong Film Archive, the Art Promotion Office, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, and the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum Heritage Trail Visitors Centre, along with seven smaller museums, namely the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum, the Law Uk Folk Museum, the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum, the Sam Tung Uk Museum, the Hong Kong Railway Museum, and the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery.
The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware and its adjacent K. S. Lo Gallery showcase valuable antique ceramic pieces, along with Chinese seals.
In 2013-14, over 6.3 million visitors patronised the LCSD’s museums, where they were able to enjoy many inspiring and enjoyable exhibitions and programmes designed for a range of different audiences.
During the year, the LCSD published its second Five-Year Corporate Business Plan for the public museums, covering 2013-18. This lays out the vision, mission, core values, and plans for achieving excellence for museums. Individual museums and offices also drew up their own Annual Plans for 2013-14.
Three Museum Advisory Panels (Art, History and Science) were set up in October 2010 to enhance accountability and public involvement in the management of the museums. In the year under review, they continued to advise the department on the positioning of museums, on strategies for business development, marketing and community involvement, and on measures for enhancing operational efficiency and accountability. The panels comprise academics, museum experts, artists, art promoters, marketing / public relations experts, and community leaders.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee was set up in July 2008 to monitor and advise on the first territory-wide survey of Hong Kong’s intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The committee, which comprises local academics, experts and prominent community figures, commenced its third term on January 1, 2013, with an expanded membership incorporating a wider range of experts. Its terms of reference were also widened to cover the safeguarding of our ICH through research, promotion, enhancement, transmission and revitalisation.
With reference to the findings of the first territory-wide survey of ICH in Hong Kong, the committee endorsed an inventory list comprising 480 ICH items after a four-month public consultation on the draft inventory list conducted by the LCSD from July to November 2013. The first inventory of Hong Kong’s ICH would be published in mid 2014.
The Museum Trainee Scheme was begun in 2010 to develop museum professionals. Trainees are attached to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Museum of History, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, the Hong Kong Film Archive, the Art Promotion Office and the Conservation Office, and receive two-year on-the-job training in museum management or conservation services. The trainees learnt how to manage museum services and organise education programmes, and also gained hands-on experience in curating exhibitions and projects. The number of trainee placements was increased from 15 in 2012 to 24 in 2013.
During the year, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Ju Ming Museum co-organised the exhibition Ju Ming—Sculpting the Living World. This was the first large-scale solo exhibition of the world-acclaimed artist Ju Ming held at the museum, and over 120 sets of artwork were displayed in the two exhibition galleries as well as in the adjacent piazza and in the Art Square at Salisbury Garden.
The Origin of Dao: New Dimensions in Chinese Contemporary Art, curated by Pi Daojian, showed examples of Chinese contemporary art that have taken a different route from conventional western art, and explored the philosophy (‘Dao’) behind this genre. The Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards displayed 97 artworks selected for exhibition in 2013, including the works of the 14 award winners.
The Origin of Dao: New Dimensions in Chinese Contemporary Art was a large-scale contemporary art exhibition that brought together the work of 37 Chinese artists from the Mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and overseas at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
To strengthen cultural collaboration within the Pearl River Delta Region, the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Guangdong Museum and the Macao Museum jointly organised a travelling exhibition Maritime Porcelain Road: Relics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Museums, to run from 2012 to 2014. The exhibition was staged at the Hong Kong Museum of Art from July 19, 2013 to February 16, 2014. A total of 186 300 people visited the exhibition.
Co-organised by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Guangdong Museum and the Macao Museum, the exhibition Maritime Porcelain Road - Relics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Museums presented a study of Chinese export ceramics and explored the role of the trade.
In November 2013, the All Are Guests exhibition was shown in Taipei as part of the Hong Kong Week 2013@Taipei programme, in a move designed to foster cultural exchange and promote Hong Kong artists overseas. This year, the museum also extended its outdoor exhibition space with the newly opened Art Square in Salisbury Garden, where art displays will be regularly renewed to showcase the creativity and diversity of Hong Kong art. Three renowned local artists, Kum Chi-keung, Danny Lee and Rosanna Li, created large site-specific sculptures for the inaugural exhibition Heaven, Earth and Man - A Hong Kong Art Exhibition.
Large site-specific sculptures by local artists, Kum Chi-keung, Danny Lee and Rosanna Li, went on display in the newly opened Art Square at Salisbury Garden as part of its inaugural exhibition Heaven, Earth and Man - A Hong Kong Art Exhibition.
The museum also offered a wide array of educational programmes to enhance public appreciation of art. Sponsored by The Friends of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, a one-year free coach service was provided to enable local schools to visit the exhibitions at the museum.
Other than regular lecture programmes, two whole-day international symposia were held to tie in with the exhibitions The Origin of Dao: New Dimensions in Chinese Contemporary Art, and Ju Ming – Sculpting the Living World; these were held on May 17, 2013 and March 1, 2014 respectively. Many internationally renowned artists and scholars were invited to the symposia to present papers, giving attendees the chance to hear artists they admired speaking in person.
A Jockey Club Art Appreciation Programme was specially designed to enhance visitors’ interest in the exhibition Ju Ming – Sculpting the Living World. Sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the programme included a thematic audio guide, an interactive phototaking and education corner, art workshops, free public guided tours, and art accessibility activities for disabled groups. To tie in with the exhibition associated with the Hong Kong Contemporary Art Awards 2012, special educational programmes were held in October and November 2013. A series of open forums with presentations by the award-winning artists were conducted, and a special programme, Portfolio Nights, was organised allowing tertiary students to meet their favourite artists and get their professional comments on the students’ artworks. In total, the museum’s education and extension programmes attracted over 38 000 participants in 2013-14.
Sculptures by Ju Ming on display outside the entrance of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
Featuring 120 sets of works from the Living World Series, the Ju Ming - Sculpting the Living World exhibition was the largest exhibition of works by the renowned Chinese artist Ju Ming ever held in Hong Kong.
In order to study the history of Hong Kong art in depth and provide a background that will facilitate the work of future researchers, a collaborative project between the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Asia Art Archive entitled the Hong Kong Art History Research – Pilot Project was launched in March 2013, which concluded with a whole-day panel discussion in November 2013. Interviews with five senior contributors to Hong Kong art were conducted and video recorded as part of this Pilot Project. The Museum of Art will continue to collaborate with other cultural institutions to conduct research on Hong Kong art.
With the aim of taking the valuable collections of the Hong Kong Museum of Art to every corner of the world via the internet, the museum further enhanced information about its collections on the Google Art Project. Details with images of another 50 artefacts from the museum’s collection were uploaded onto the Google Art Project in September 2013. A total of 140 artworks are now available on the Google platform.
The Hong Kong Museum of Art further enhanced information about its collections on the Google Art Project.
The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is a branch of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Its collection features tea ware and related implements from the collection of the late Dr K S Lo, as well as rare Chinese ceramics and seals donated by the K S Lo Foundation. The exhibition 2013 Tea Ware by Hong Kong Potters showcased 105 items of selected ceramic tea ware made by 87 local potters. Over 68 900 people visited the exhibition from September 4, 2013 to March 31, 2014. To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Museum of Tea Ware, a whole year of celebration activities was planned for 2014. One of the programme highlights was the exhibition Gems of Yixing Tea Ware from the Nanjing Museums, featuring collections from the Nanjing Museums. From March 26, 2014 to April 25, 2014, over 14 700 people visited the exhibition. The museum, which also organised many activities to introduce people to tea ware and the art of tea drinking, attracted 204 400 visitors during the year.
Students on a guided tour at the exhibition 2013 Tea Ware by Hong Kong Potters.
The mission of the Hong Kong Museum of History is to foster interest in history, enrich cultural life, strengthen social cohesion, and nurture a national identity. It collects, preserves and displays cultural objects closely related to the history of Hong Kong, South China and beyond.
In addition to its permanent exhibition The Hong Kong Story, the museum presents various thematic exhibitions either on its own or in conjunction with other museums and cultural organisations from Hong Kong, the Mainland, and overseas.
The major exhibition The Splendours of Royal Costume: Qing Court Attire was the largest of its kind ever launched by the Palace Museum outside the Mainland, attracting 113 800 visitors. Two creative and stimulating multimedia programmes were produced to help visitors appreciate the Qing court costumes. A series of creative extension and education activities were held; these included public talks by specialists from the Palace Museum, guided tours for people with disabilities, and iPad workshops for young people and families, all of which helped visitors better appreciate the creativity and beauty of the Qing court costumes. In addition, a range of creative and design programmes were organised which involved recruiting design students to work with museum designers in designing the gallery and catalogue, as well as the holding of a fashion design competition to enhance young people’s understanding of the exhibition.
Costumes of the Qing emperors and their consorts were on display in the exhibition The Splendours of Royal Costume: Qing Court Attire.
The work of the winners of Discovering Qing: Fashion Design Competition was presented as a fashion show.
Retracing the history of Hong Kong from the mid-19th to the early 20th century and reviewing the development of the photography industry in Hong Kong, the exhibition Images Through Time: Photos of Old Hong Kong featured over 700 valuable photos selected from the museum collections and the Moonchu Collection of Early Photography of China. Museum staff carried out painstaking research on historical photographs of Hong Kong, and made this the largest exhibition of its kind ever held in Hong Kong. To tie in with the programme, the museum joined hands with the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong to develop a series of multimedia programmes in which visitors could enjoy old photos selected from the museum’s recent acquisitions, and witness the transformation of the cityscape on the north side of Hong Kong Island over the years. The exhibition was very well received, attracting 119 400 visitors.
The exhibition Images Through Time: Photos of Old Hong Kong featured more than 700 rare old photos, and gave visitors the chance to see how Hong Kong has evolved over the past century.
Visitors using interactive devices at the Images Through Time: Photos of Old Hong Kong exhibition.
The museum also collaborated with local organisations and public institutions to organise displays on themes relating to the public history of Hong Kong. Especially well received were the Hong Kong Observatory – Under the Same Sky 130 Years, jointly presented with the Hong Kong Observatory, and the Journey with You: Hong Kong Bus Story, jointly presented with Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited, which recorded total attendances of 146 900 and 122 900 respectively.
Two antique buses, a Daimler A (left) and an Albion Victor EVK55CL (right), were on display at the Journey with You: Hong Kong Bus Story exhibition.
To further promote its cheongsam collection, the museum contributed an exhibition on women’s cheongsam as the opening programme of Hong Kong Week 2013@Taipei containing over 100 exhibits. Complete with a series of education and extension activities, including a fashion show, demonstrations and talks, A Century of Fashion: Hong Kong Cheongsam Story was held at the Exhibition Hall of the Eslite Xinyi Store in Taipei. Following the success of the Taipei display, a smaller version of the exhibition was staged at the museum in early 2014, showcasing the history and craftsmanship of local cheongsam and sharing some of the fascinating stories to show how this garment reflects the unique characteristics of Hong Kong culture.
The exhibition A Century of Fashion: Hong Kong Cheongsam Story was staged at the Hong Kong Museum of History in early 2014. Visitors could appreciate the cultural legacy and innovation associated with cheongsams in Hong Kong.
To further build up its collections, during the year the museum launched two new collection campaigns: The History of Ours: Campaign for Collection of Photos, and Childhood Treasures Toy Collection Campaign, in both of which it appealed for the public to donate old photos and toys from different periods. More than 940 items were acquired through these campaigns along with ongoing collection campaigns on the cheongsam and on children’s life in Hong Kong.
To complement the exhibition Journey with You: Hong Kong Bus Story, a quiz was organised for the general public which attracted 7 600 participants. Visits to the Kowloon Motor Bus Depot were arranged for the winners in November and December 2013.
The museum was the coordinator for International Museum Day 2013, Hong Kong. As well as running a series of youth programmes involving competitions, Facebook games and workshops, it also launched some new initiatives such as the iButterfly smart phone game, a Chinese music performance at The Hong Kong Story Exhibition Gallery, and a curators’ talk series and seminars in mid-May 2013, all to encourage greater public participation in the International Museum Day programmes.
The Hong Kong Museum of History was the coordinator for International Museum Day 2013 in Hong Kong. Photo shows students at a workshop in which they could design their ideal Hong Kong museum.
Throughout the year, the museum organised a wide variety of educational and extension activities, including lecture series, workshops, conferences, field trips, film shows, competitions and family and outreach programmes to promote public interest in local history and our cultural heritage.
In October 2013, the 3rd Inter-school Competition of Project Learning on Hong Kong’s History and Culture was held, and this was followed in January 2014 with the 8th Competition on Historical Photographs Writing Research. The museum also began collaborating with the Hong Kong Film Archive to organise the Future Curator Training Course in August 2013. Close collaborations were established with local universities such as the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Centre for Hong Kong History and Culture Studies, Chu Hai College, in organising public seminars and lecture series.
To cater for special needs groups, the museum continued its collaboration with the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong on the Interactivity Scheme, which offers sign interpretation guided tours and model-making workshops for people with hearing or visual impairment. At the same time, the Inclusive Life: Museum for All project offered special guided tours with sign interpretation and audio description, model-making and touching workshops for those with hearing or visual impairment and those with intellectual disabilities, enabling them to fully enjoy the Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia and Splendours of Royal Costume: Qing Court Attire exhibitions.
With the aim of further building up its audiences, during April and May 2013 the museum launched outreach dramas on the history and cultural heritage of Hong Kong in primary schools in association with the Hong Kong Drama / Theatre Education Forum (TEFO).
Museum staff conducted outreach workshops under the Caring for the Community Scheme.
The museum enhanced its collaboration with local community groups and non-profit-making organisations, including the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong Kong, the Po Leung Kuk, the Heep Hong Society and the New Immigrants Service Association. Its Caring for the Community Scheme was launched in the year for the elderly, new immigrants, teenagers, and ethnic minority groups, with the aim of fostering an understanding of Hong Kong’s history and culture among these groups through extension activities such as story-telling sessions and model-making workshops.
The museum was delighted to receive generous sponsorship from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for the launch of an 18-month pilot project entitled Journey for Active Minds: Jockey Club Museum Programme for the Elderly. Since March 2014, this programme has begun to provide guided tours, workshops on the exhibitions and outreach programmes for the elderly and people with Alzheimer’s disease, enabling participants to explore cultural history and works of art in an environment of intellectual stimulation, experience sharing and social interaction.
The Hong Kong Museum of History attracted 830 200 visitors during the year. In addition to the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence and the Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of History also manages three small branch museums – the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery at Quarry Bay Park, the Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb Museum in Sham Shui Po, and the Law Uk Folk Museum in Chai Wan. They attracted 66 700, 36 900 and 12 800 visitors respectively during the year.
The old Lei Yue Mun Fort in Shau Kei Wan has been transformed into the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, a branch of the Hong Kong Museum of History. Apart from its permanent exhibition, 600 Years of Coastal Defence in Hong Kong, the museum presented two thematic exhibitions during the year: Anti-Japanese War Heroes: An Exhibition on the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, and Unsung Bravery: History of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps.
A visitor reads about the contribution of the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column to defending the homeland.
To complement the two thematic exhibitions, lecture series on the Dongjiang Column and the Hong Kong Independent Battalion were organised during the exhibition period. In connection with the exhibition Unsung Bravery: History of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps, educational programmes under the title To Have a Date with Ex-British-Chinese Soldiers were organised at which British-Chinese soldiers could share their personal experiences in the service with the public. A total of 249 people had taken part by the end of March 2014.
The educational programmes titled To Have a Date with Ex- British - Chinese Soldiers introduced British Army equipment and weapons to visitors.
The museum attracted 121 300 visitors during the year.
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, housed in Kom Tong Hall, a declared monument, has two permanent exhibitions covering Dr Sun’s life and his close connection with Hong Kong. In addition, two thematic exhibitions were organised during the year, Dr Sun Yat-sen and His Family, and History in Prints: The 1911 Revolution in Guangdong.
Visitors learn about Dr Sun's family and how they supported Dr Sun's revolutionary career at the Dr Sun Yat-sen and His Family exhibition.
This museum attracted 60 400 visitors during the year.
Julius Caesar: Military Genius & Mighty Machines, running from December 7, 2012 to April 10, 2013, recreated a fascinating period of the Roman Empire. It allowed visitors to experience and explore interactive machine models and technologies from the Roman period, and integrated ancient technologies with the wider historical context in one show. The exhibition welcomed 122 000 visitors of many different backgrounds and interests.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition featured a hundred winning entries from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition. Jointly organised by the Natural History Museum in London and BBC Worldwide, the competition received 48 000 images taken by amateur and professional photographers in 2012. The winning pictures were displayed in transparency format, showcasing a photographic collection that celebrated the beauty and magnificence of the animal world as well as acting as a stark reminder of the fragility of nature. The exhibition received 197 200 enthusiastic visitors from June 1 to September 1, 2013.
To complement the exhibition, the museum organised the Little Eco-Journalist Competition in July 2013, aimed at encouraging students to pursue ecological knowledge while developing research skills. The competition was well received by schools, teachers and students, and the winning entries were displayed during the exhibition.
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Legends of the Giant Dinosaurs, solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, was the largest of its type ever held in Hong Kong. Occupying an area of 2 500 square metres, the exhibition drew international participation from 13 institutes, including a number of natural history museums from the Mainland and professional institutes from overseas. Featuring a rich variety of content, it displayed more than 190 items, about half of which were fossilised dinosaur skeletons, skulls, vertebrae, feathered dinosaurs and eggs. Other highlights included a 30 metre model of a dinosaur skeleton, robotic dinosaurs, and a reconstructed dinosaur tracksite.
Six large robotic dinosaurs specially produced for the Legends of the Giant Dinosaurs exhibition were on display in the piazzas of the Hong Kong Science Museum.
To enhance the appeal of the exhibition, the museum developed a number of multimedia programmes, computer animations and interactive exhibits that employed state-of-art technology such as object recognition, real time 3D rendering and augmented reality. The Jurassic World mobile app, which enabled audiences to view dinosaurs in action, received the Best Mobile Apps (Mobile Information) Gold Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2014 and the Certificate of Merits at the Asia Smartphone Apps Contest 2013/14.
Visitors were able to interact with the animatronic dinosaurs at the Legends of the Giant Dinosaurs exhibition.
The exhibition drew wide attention from the public and the media. A record attendance of 710 000 visitors to the exhibition was recorded between its opening on November 8 up to March 31, 2014, with a daily average of over 5 800 visitors and more than 12 000 daily visitors at its peak.
The museum also organised a variety of innovative education and extension activities to complement the mega exhibition. The family programme A Night with Dinosaurs organised in December 2013 and January 2014 offered families the unique experience of staying at the museum through the night to explore different aspects of the lives of dinosaurs, and be introduced to palaeontology. The programme received an overwhelming response, attracting over 1 600 applications.
Participants having a good time during A Night with Dinosaurs, a family programme organised by the Hong Kong Science Museum in connection with the Legends of the Giant Dinosaurs exhibition.
In addition, the Erth's Dinosaur Zoo interactive show, conducted by the famous Australian physical performance company Erth Visual & Physical Inc, offered children a personal encounter with an amazing variety of dinosaurs. The Saving Baby Dinosaur outreach puppet show by local puppet performance groups enabled children at schools and non-profit-making institutions to learn more about dinosaurs in a fun-filled atmosphere. Other extension activities included a laser show, lectures, guided tours, film shows, science demonstrations, science competitions, fun science experiments and family workshops.
During the year, the museum acquired a total of nine items relating to prehistoric fish and insects for its collection. A new set of 14 exhibits on various mathematical topics was added to the Prototype Zone, where visitors could try out the new interactive exhibits and share their views on their design and performance. The Energy Efficiency Centre was partly renovated and a number of new interactive exhibits introduced, focusing on topics such as global energy resources and local renewable energy applications.
The museum’s Science News Corner showcases some of the scientific and technological achievements of local universities. A thematic exhibition titled Soybean Homecoming was organised jointly with the Chinese University of Hong Kong and ran from April 13 to September 4, 2013.
In November 2013, five leading scientists from the Mainland and Hong Kong delivered lectures in the Distinguished Chinese Scientists Lecture Series, organised jointly by the China Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, the China Association (Hong Kong) for Science and Society, and the Science Museum. Topics ranged from the development of liver transplants in Hong Kong, the challenge of exascale computing, and environmental pollution and public health. The lectures shed light on recent developments in science and technology, with a focus on the contributions being made by Chinese scientists.
Science Alive 2014, sponsored by the Croucher Foundation and jointly presented with the British Council, the Education Bureau and Hong Kong Education City Limited, offered a variety of educational activities, including a science communication contest, a debating competition, a lecture series, workshops, demonstrations, science walkabouts and family days.
The Family Day Programme of Science Alive 2014 generated an overwhelming response from the public.
The museum also worked with academic institutions, professional bodies and government departments on a number of special programmes. These included the Fun Science Competition, the 16th Innovations in Science and Environmental Studies, the Hong Kong Student Science Project Competition 2013, the 46th Joint School Science Exhibition, the Robotic Olympiad, Research Grants Council Public Lectures, and the Science in the Public Service campaign.
To kindle public interest in science and to sow seed in the minds of the younger generation, the museum cooperated with 19 different science organisations and government departments to present the first-ever HK SciFest 2014. Spanning February and March, the festival offered 47 different programmes, from interactive lectures to drama shows, laboratory programmes, workshops, competitions, field visits, tours and family days, all catering for science-lovers, curiosity-seekers, families and the public. Supported by its partners’ expertise, the museum included special activities to enrich participants’ understanding of the local sewage treatment process, and the geological history, wetlands and migratory birds of Hong Kong, in the process extending the science education programmes from the museum to different parts of Hong Kong.
A child stands inside a huge soap bubble at HK SciFest 2014.
During the year, 2 113 000 people visited the exhibitions and took part in the education and extension activities.
The Hong Kong Space Museum, which opened in 1980, is the major local institution dedicated to popularising astronomy and space science. Its main facilities include the Stanley Ho Space Theatre and two exhibition halls – the Hall of Space Science and the Hall of Astronomy. The exhibition halls feature more than 50 groups of exhibits, predominantly interactive. The Space Theatre offers awe-inspiring educational experiences with its OMNIMAX and Sky Shows.
To commemorate China’s first exploration of the Moon with a lunar rover, from December 2013 to March 2014 the museum staged a special exhibition titled Chang’e 3 Lunar Exploration Mission.
Renovation of the two exhibition halls has begun, and the final design for the new exhibition halls has been completed. The entire project is expected to be completed by late 2016. The museum’s website (http://hk.space.museum), carrying a wealth of information and educational resources on astronomy and space science, remains very popular.
The Young Astronaut Training Camp is jointly organised by the Space Museum, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, the China Astronaut Research and Training Center and the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. As part of the training camp, 30 local secondary students were selected to participate in a space science and astronaut training study visit to Beijing and Jiuquan from July 26 to August 2, 2013.
These young astronauts are very excited about joining the training camp.
Students visiting the Command and Control Room at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
During the year, the Hong Kong Space Museum collaborated for the first time with the Chabot Space & Science Center, USA, in an exchange programme known as the Digital Skies Student Partnership. Twelve Hong Kong students were selected to team up with US students and jointly develop planetarium shows. They visited their US partners in Oakland, California from March 28 to April 3, 2013 to showcase their joint productions and to promote astronomy in local schools and communities there. The US students likewise visited Hong Kong in July 2013. The programme was funded by a grant from the Museum Connect Cultural Exchange programme underwritten by the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and administered by the American Association of Museums.
Participants in the Digital Skies Student Partnership Scheme presented a joint production at a local Hong Kong secondary school.
During the year, the museum presented one Sky Show, two 3D Full Dome Shows, three OMNIMAX Shows and two School Shows, attracting a total of 400 700 visitors.
A total of 492 500 people visited the Hall of Space Science, the Hall of Astronomy and 13 special exhibitions, while 22 700 people participated in sessions of 177 extension activities.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum offered a diverse range of programmes and activities during the year with special focus on intangible cultural heritage (ICH), popular culture and design.
Upon completion of the territory-wide survey of ICH in Hong Kong, an inventory list comprising 480 ICH items was drawn up on the advice of the ICH Advisory Committee after a four-month public consultation on the draft inventory list from July to November 2013. The first inventory of Hong Kong’s ICH would be published in mid 2014. Also during the year, four local ICH items, namely Fung Ying Seen Koon Quanzhen ritual music, Wong Tai Sin belief and customs, Guqin (seven-stringed plucked instrument) production technique and Hakka unicorn dance in Hang Hau, were put forward for inclusion in the fourth national list of ICH.
To promote public awareness and appreciation of the rich cultural heritage of Hong Kong and the Mainland, two exhibitions on ICH were presented. The museum joined hands with the Choi Chang Sau Qin Making Society to organise an exhibition entitled The Legend of Silk and Wood: A Hong Kong Qin Story in December 2013. The exhibition looked at the transmission of qin (the Chinese zither) from the perspectives of ‘traditional craftsmanship’ and ‘performing arts’ as defined by UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Another exhibition, Genesis and Spirit: Intangible Cultural Heritage of Guizhou, developed in collaboration with the Department of Culture of Guizhou Province, was held at the Hong Kong Central Library. It showcased the rich and varied intangible cultural resources of Guizhou.
Highlighting the skills in the making of a qin and the art of playing the instrument, The Legend of Silk and Wood: A Hong Kong Qin Story exhibition took visitors into the world of guqin music and qin craftsmanship.
The exhibition Genesis and Spirit: Intangible Cultural Heritage of Guizhou showcased the rich and varied intangible cultural resources of Guizhou.
The year 2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the death of Bruce Lee, an important cultural icon both in Hong Kong and overseas. Jointly organised with the Bruce Lee Foundation, a large-scale exhibition entitled Bruce Lee: Kung Fu • Art • Life opened in July 2013 and will run for five years. Taking visitors on a marvellous journey through the life and achievements of Lee, the exhibition features more than 600 precious relics related to Bruce Lee on loan from local and overseas collectors, including memorabilia of Lee and his costumes, books and gym equipment, as well as his manuscripts. The exhibition experience was enriched by a 3D hologram animation of Bruce Lee, a newly created 3.5-metre-high statue of Lee, and a 75-minute documentary The Brilliant Life of Bruce Lee. The exhibition was well received by both local and overseas visitors, recording an attendance of over 367 000 by the end of March 2014.
A newly created 3.5-metre-high statue of Bruce Lee went on display at the Bruce Lee: Kung Fu • Art • Life exhibition.
Fashion and stardom have always gone hand in hand in Hong Kong. This year, the spotlight fell on Hong Kong fashion design legend Eddie Lau, a highly successful pioneer in fashion and image design both locally and abroad. Following Lau's generous donation to the museum of many of his valuable possessions including fashion designs, stage costumes, sketches and photographs, the museum staged a solo exhibition of his works entitled Fashion • Image • Eddie Lau. About 70 of Lau's fashion pieces as well as other related works went on display. Divided into two parts -- fashion design and image design -- the exhibition focused on fashion and haute couture designed by Lau dating back to 1979. Exhibition highlights included the numerous design concepts developed by Lau for the local music industry, and the ‘Ever Changing Anita Mui’ with costumes designed by Lau for Anita Mui at different periods. The exhibition was very popular, having attracted around 310 000 visitors by its end.
Visitors admire works by iconic fashion designer Eddie Lau at the Fashion • Image • Eddie Lau exhibition.
Innovative curatorial approaches were deployed for the exhibition Intelligence Infinity: Inspiration through Art. Based on Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, the exhibition provided younger visitors with a full sensory experience that encouraged a rich exploration of art and the world.
A work of art in the Intelligence Infinity: Inspiration through Art exhibition. Children could freely touch, climb on and play with the sculpture, fully experiencing the artist’s creation.
Another engaging exhibition was Best Wishes for the Family: Traditional Chinese Woodblock Prints from the Collections of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. This was curated to give visitors a hands-on experience of traditional art. Audiences were invited to ‘feel’ the exhibits by touching woodblock replicas. Tactile diagrams and guided tours with audio descriptions were made available so that the visually-impaired could fully enjoy the exhibition.
Other exhibitions organised during the year included Sounds in the Grass: Selected Works of Insects by Chao Shao-an, Collaborative Printmaking in partnership with Hong Kong Open Printshop, and Long time no see, Victoria.
The Long time no see, Victoria exhibition explored the memories and interpretations of artists during the colonial era.
The museum organised a variety of education and extension programmes to tie in with its permanent and thematic exhibitions during the year. They included talks, seminars, guided tour services, workshops and demonstrations tailored to the needs of different groups. The museum also introduced Sharing Our Lives: New Interactive Experience for Seniors and Teens, a series of special programmes designed to connect younger and older generations by interacting, sharing experiences and learning from each other. The museum collaborated with the Education Bureau to run gallery talks, workshops and seminars in support of Life-wide Learning and the Senior Secondary Curriculum.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum, which attracted 636 300 visitors during the year, also manages three branch museums: the Sam Tung Uk Museum, the Hong Kong Railway Museum, and the Sheung Yiu Folk Museum. These three branch museums attracted 89 500, 202 800 and 41 500 visitors respectively.
The Art Promotion Office (APO), in co-operation with various partners, organised a series of community and public art projects in 2013-14 designed to enrich our cultural life and promote public appreciation of art.
The Park Déco – Cornwall Street Park project was aimed at giving the signage and furniture of the Cornwall Street Park a face-lift. Completed in September 2012, the project was granted a Special Citation (Innovation) of the General Public Service Award in the Civil Service Outstanding Service Award Scheme 2013; and was winner of the 2013 Public Space Awards - Urban Park.
Art@Government Buildings (AGB) is a public art project that brings works of art into government buildings to stimulate appreciation and enjoyment of the arts. In AGB 2010-11 and 2012-13, nine government buildings in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories had been imbued with art to create an aesthetic ambience. For AGB 2013-14, four local artists were selected in an open call for proposals to create a new look for the General Post Office, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hung Hom Community Hall and Sha Tin Town Hall. The artworks are currently on display from March 2014 to March 2015.
In Art@Government Buildings 2013-14, four local artists were selected in an open call for proposals to create a new look for the General Post Office, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Hung Hom Community Hall and Sha Tin Town Hall. Photo shows the work at the General Post Office.
The Sparkle! exhibition series was launched by Oil Street Art Space (Oi!) with the inaugural exhibition Sparkle! Art for the Future. The series set out to boost experimental art and generate public engagement in artistic creation and exhibition, stimulating discussion about the relationship between art, contemporary life and social issues. The exhibition showcased seven exhibition proposals developed by young local curators, with the individual exhibitions scheduled to go on view at Oi! during 2014 and 2015.
The Sparkle! Art for the Future exhibition presented the guest curators' ideas about the relationship between contemporary art and life.
Oi!, a new platform for exchanging ideas in art managed by the APO, officially opened in May 2013 with a launch exhibition entitled Embark! Beyond the Horizon. Four artists were invited to envisage the past, present and future of Oi! based on its unique history and location. Since its opening, a number of programmes have been organised including the Sparkle! Art for the Future exhibition series, and Splash! Garden Bloom. Oi! has quickly begun to provide a valuable platform where budding and practicing artists can collaborate and share ideas.
The work Together by artist Yuan Gong taking part in the Embark! Beyond the Horizon exhibition used mist to create a spectacular space where viewers could appreciate their independent status, and at the same time feeling the presence of others.
Young visitors enjoying a table setting at the Sparkle! Art for the Future exhibition.
In December 2013, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre (vA!) and Oi! co-organised Dialogue! Conference on Publicly Engaged Art Practices with Academic Partners from the Academy of Visual Arts of Hong Kong Baptist University, the Department of Fine Arts of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Nine speakers from the Mainland, Taiwan, Macao and Hong Kong were invited to introduce their participatory art practices on December 6, 2013. A total of 27 local art practitioners and artists were invited for a discussion on December 7, 2013.
vA! provides a platform for art learning and exchange between artists, art enthusiasts and the general public. It does this by proactively establishing partnerships with artists, relevant institutions and art organisations, and worked together with them to organise quality activities that meet ever-changing public demands while facilitating their enjoyment of creating and participating in art.
In 2013-14, vA! organised its signature programme the Art Specialist Course, a year-long art-training programme for amateurs and young artists. It also held a series of interactive workshops and an exhibition titled Interactive Jam with Digital Art Pro. In the project, a group of young people transformed traditional media into digital formats, in the process exploring both the origins of traditional Chinese culture and the creation of digital art. The results were shown in the lobby of vA! and were well received by the public.
Participants taking part in the Art Specialist Course learnt a range of artistic skills and concepts.
