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MESSAGE
Museums offer inspiring experiences in
art, history and science to be enjoyed by all
2011-12 was an exciting and fruitful year for the museums under the Leisure and Cultural
Services Department (LCSD). We embarked on a rewarding journey of creativity and
innovation to strengthen our museum brands, enrich audience experience and engage
more socially and culturally diverse sections of the community. Every member of our
heritage family – including 14 museums and four cultural offices / venues* – worked in
concert to achieve our vision and mission.
Our vision and mission …
As custodians of valuable cultural legacies, we aspire to “offer inspiring experiences in art,
history and science to be enjoyed by all”. Our mission is to provide an inspiring life-long
learning platform to foster imagination and creativity in our community.
Through creative curatorship and technology, we promote museum programmes as
inclusive, accessible and relevant to all. We present a wide variety of enjoyable and inspiring
events closely connected to our heritage and everyday lives, and deployed technology to
enrich audience experiences.
We listen …
We strive to understand our audiences. To stay current with trends and standards and to
meet audience expectations, we solicit the views and advice of experts and members of the
public through established and informal channels. Their valuable feedback is imperative to
the planning and development of museum services and programmes.
*The four cultural offices/venues managed by LCSD are the Art Promotion Office, the Hong Kong
Film Archive, the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre and the Ping Shan Tang Clan Gallery cum
Heritage Trail Visitors Centre.
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We are particularly grateful to the members of the three Museum Advisory Panels,
as well as museum advisers who are experts in various fields. In 2011, we conducted
extensive exit and household surveys to gather the views of museum-goers and nongoers respectively. The findings indicated a high level of satisfaction with the services
provided by our museums and provided useful insights into how we can further improve
and capture new audiences.
Our programmes …
We are encouraged by the 5.6 million visits to our museums in 2011-12, an impressive
number by all counts. This annual report presents some of the major efforts that
contributed to this pleasing result.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, the Museum of History
presented the Centenary of China’s 1911 Revolution exhibition highlighting the significance
of the Revolution in China’s modern history.
Reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as an international cultural hub, we brought to
Hong Kong exhibitions from other cultures for the enjoyment and appreciation of
local audiences. Pixar: 25 Years of Animation and Fantastic Creatures from the British
Museum at the Heritage Museum and Museum of Art respectively are examples of our
blockbuster exhibitions in 2011-12. The Science Museum organised Albert Einstein
(1879-1955) to showcase the life of the famous genius.
I would like to highlight, in particular, a number of major local exhibitions held at the
museums in 2011-12. Legacy and Creations – “Ink Art vs Ink Art” and “Art vs Art” was
re-staged in Hong Kong after a very successful premiere at the Shanghai Expo in 2010.
From Common to Uncommon – the Legend of Ha Bik-chuen presented a retrospective
of this highly-regarded self-taught local artist. Applauding Hong Kong Pop Legend:
Roman Tam paid homage to the legendary local singer and recollected our memories
of the 1980s.
The museums also extended their work beyond their physical boundaries by bringing art
and exhibitions to local community venues and staging exhibitions overseas. The Park
Deco and ArtAlive@Park, spearheaded by the Art Promotion Office, displayed artworks
of local and budding artists in LCSD parks for public appreciation. The Museum of Art
presented The Art of Dissent in 17th Century China: Masterpieces of Ming Loyalist Art
from the Chih Lo Lou Collection in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art which was
enthusiastically received by overseas audiences.
Our heartfelt thanks …
We would not have been able to successfully stage so many museum programmes without
the generous and staunch support of donors, sponsors, strategic partners and volunteers.
Their support is also an endorsement by the community of the work of our museums.
We are particularly pleased to see further collaboration between Hong Kong and the
Mainland on the museum front. The signing of the ‘Agreement on Enhancing Exchange
and Cooperation in the Area of Cultural Heritage’ between the Home Affairs Bureau
and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in December 2011 marked the
commencement of formal and regular cooperation on cultural heritage of the two places.
Annual meetings are held to follow up on the directions laid down in the Agreement.
Our continued endeavours …
The advance of technology has vastly expanded audience access to our valuable
collections. In 2011-12, our museums took two important steps in this direction. The
first was the launch of the Hong Kong Public Museums portal (www.museums.gov.hk),
an exciting one-stop platform for all of LCSD’s museums and cultural offices/venues, in
March 2012. In April 2012, the Museum of Art and the Heritage Museum were among
the first in Asia to join the ground-breaking Google Art Project, giving web users all
over the world a close look at 187 of the finest items from the collections of these two
museums.
Leveraging new technology will enable our museums to move with the times, making
them more accessible and meaningful to the audiences, especially the younger
generation. In the future, we will continue to creatively deploy new media and technology,
in tandem with good curatorship and enhanced publicity, in presenting exhibitions so as
to bring inspiring visitor experience to all. We will continue to work hard to take our
museums to new heights.
Mrs Betty FUNG
Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
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ABOUT
LC S D
M U S E U M S
Museums collect, conserve and exhibit artefacts to educate and inspire. They also do
extensive research. Museum collections offer insights into our culture, history and natural
heritage. Preserving these endowments is a vital long-term commitment to current and
future generations. Most public museums in Hong Kong are managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services
Department (LCSD), which runs 14 museums and four other cultural offices/venues, each
with a unique focus. Our vision is to offer inspiring experiences in art, history and science
to be enjoyed by all. By making our cultural legacy accessible, we hope to provide a
lifelong learning platform for the community to stimulate their imagination and creativity.
We pursue our vision with professionalism, creativity, passion and integrity, based on our
core value of openness and a people-oriented culture. By sharing our cultural heritage,
LCSD museums also play an important role in showcasing the diversity of Hong Kong as
an international city.
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HONG KONG
MUSEUM OF ART
A leading visual arts museum in Asia, showcasing
the most distinguished Hong Kong and Chinese art,
ink art, and treasures from other cultures to inspire
emotive art appreciation experiences.
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HONG KONG
MUSEUM OF HISTORY
The Hong Kong Museum of History is the prime mover in
promoting local history and a repository of invaluable relics of
Hong Kong’s days gone by. Our permanent exhibition
The Hong Kong Story boasts life-sized exhibits for a one-stop
telescopic view of local history and culture. The museum
also offers thematic exhibitions on the history of Hong Kong,
the Mainland and other regions.
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H E R I TA G E M U S E U M
HONG KONG
A multidisciplined museum that presents the living
heritage and creative culture of Hong Kong, with
special focus on design, photography, popular culture,
Cantonese opera, and intangible cultural heritage.
The Hong Kong Heritage Museum also bridges the many
cultures of the world with the people of Hong Kong.
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HONG KONG
SCIENCE MUSEUM
The Hong Kong Science Museum offers inspiring,
educational, and interactive experiences on science
and technology, while serving as a distributed
network connecting other science and technology
museums / institutions in Hong Kong and the region.
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HONG KONG
The Hong Kong Space Museum pioneers in offering
Asia’s first OMNIMAX theatre and the world’s first
fully automatic planetarium control system. The
museum is dedicated to offering a fascinating,
interactive experience that immerses audiences in the
sphere of astronomy.
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ART PROMOTION OFFICE
An art incubator dedicated to promoting visual arts by nurturing
new artists and ideas and bringing art into the local community.
The Art Promotion Office is now located in the Hong
Kong Visual Arts Centre which was converted from
the beautifully-preserved former British army barrack
Cassels Block. The Centre supports art learning of art
lovers with professionally-equipped studios where the public can
learn in a harmonious setting blending tradition and modernity.
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HONG KONG
An internationally-renowned archive conserving
Hong Kong’s rich film heritage and
facilitating film research.
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FILM ARCHIVE
PROGRAMMING
Showcasing the Magic
Hong Kong’s museums marked the 2011-12 fiscal year with a strikingly diverse array of
exhibitions. We strived to find exciting new ways to showcase Hong Kong’s fine collections of arts
and culture and make them easily accessible while enriching audience experiences.
Through carefully thought-out programming, we catered to the interests of a wide variety
of audience segments. There was something of value for everyone, from connoisseurs of
culture to families, children, youth, mature audiences and tourists.
Art to Remember
One of our key missions is to bring the excellence of Hong Kong art and artists out into the
city, to connect art, artists and people in compelling, educative, inspiring programmes that
enrich the community.
The Hong Kong Museum of Art (Museum of Art) and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum
(Heritage Museum) staged a wealth of memorable thematic exhibitions that turned the
spotlight on Hong Kong’s unique character as an international city with a distinctive artistic
energy, deeply influenced by its Chinese cultural roots.
The outstanding block prints and other works of Huang Xinbo, a pioneer of the modern
Chinese woodcut, were on display at Imprint of the Heart: Artistic Journey of Huang Xinbo
(November 2011-March 2012) at the Heritage Museum. The Fashion Visionaries (November
2011-March 2012), jointly organised by the Heritage Museum and the Hong Kong Fashion
Designers Association, featured the works of iconic Hong Kong fashion designers, art and
image directors, illustrators, photographers and award-winning young fashion designers.
The many notable programmes included two single-artist retrospectives at the Museum
of Art: From Common to Uncommon– the Legend of Ha Bik-chuen (April-July 2011),
which displayed veteran artist Ha Bik-chuen’s important body of work, and Johnson Chow
Su-sing: A Tranquil Heart in Art (October-December 2011), which included refined literati
painting by this distinguished Mainland artist who moved to Hong Kong in the late 1940s.
A highlight of Hong Kong’s cultural programme at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, Legacy
and Creations– “Ink Art vs Ink Art” and “Art vs Art” (May-August 2011), captured the
essence of Hong Kong’s creativity, inspired by our Chinese heritage. Local and foreign
audiences who did not get the chance to see the exhibition in Shanghai were able to enjoy
the show at the Museum of Art.
Winning works by Hong Kong’s potters went on display in the From Clay to Teapot: Tea Ware
by Hong Kong Potters 1986-2010 (June 2011-ongoing) at the Flagstaff House Museum of
Tea Ware (Museum of Tea Ware). The exhibition showcased the best entries of two decades
of local ceramic tea ware design competitions organised by the Museum of Tea Ware.
Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Film Archive (Film Archive) celebrated our wonderful
cinematic heritage through exciting thematic exhibitions. Faces of Endearment: A Tribute
to Supporting Actors (July-October 2011) brought back some well-known supporting
characters from 1950s and 1960s Cantonese cinema, while the 100 Must-see Hong Kong
Movies (October 2011-ongoing) programme is rekindling interest in the gems of Hong
Kong movies, from the early years of the industry to the end of the 20th century.
Celebrating Culture
Our educational cultural-awareness programmes took on many forms and reached a
varied audience during the year under review.
In the fiscal year, people were given the opportunity to examine Hong Kong’s role in the
1911 Revolution when the Hong Kong Museum of History (Museum of History) and the
Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum (Sun Yat-sen Museum) jointly commemorated the centenary of the
epoch-making event. The Museum of History’s blockbuster exhibition entitled Centenary
of China’s 1911 Revolution (March-May 2011) showcased valuable exhibits from the Hubei
Provincial Museum and its own collections to show the impact of this milestone on China’s
modern history, while highlighting Hong Kong’s contribution to the Revolution. Meanwhile,
the Sun Yat-sen Museum explored Dr Sun’s attempts to build a government in Guangzhou
through the In Search of the Ideal Nation– Dr Sun Yat-sen and Guangzhou after the 1911
Revolution (September 2011-March 2012). The exhibits were drawn from the collections of
The Memorial Museum of Generalissimo Sun Yat-sen’s Mansion and the Museum of History.
At the Heritage Museum, it was time to review an important aspect of local pop culture–
our exciting Cantopop genre. Very popular in Southeast Asia and, of course, in Chinese
communities around the world, Cantopop plays a big role in local pop culture. With a
generous donation of items by the artistes family, the Museum presented the life and
career of Cantopop legend Roman Tam in the blockbuster exhibition Applauding Hong
Kong Pop Legend: Roman Tam (December 2011-ongoing). The show brought back fond
memories of the superstar and local pop culture in the Golden 80s.
At the Film Archive, The Wheel of Time: 100 Years of Light and Shadow (December
2011-March 2012), a thematic exhibition, recounted the development of Hong Kong cinema
from the 19th to the 21st century.
Showcasing Distinguished Collections and Donations
Hong Kong’s museums boast a number of prized collections. Throughout 2011-12, we
regularly presented exhibitions to highlight the museums’ star collections as well as
generous donations that have helped enlarge our collections of important cultural artefacts.
Among them was Wu Guanzhong: Painting • Dance • Music (November 2011- ongoing) at
the Museum of Art. In 2010, this leading figure in modern Chinese art made a generous
donation to the museum. The exhibition showcased some of the late master’s great works
in our permanent collection, including the precious Two Swallows, considered by the artist
himself to be his most representative work.
In September 2011, the Museum of Art raised the curtain on its excellent collection of
historical Chinese export paintings under the banner Artistic Inclusion of the East and
West: Apprentice to Master. This ongoing exhibition explores the influence of Western
art on the genre, which flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. It shows how Chinese
artists of that period modelled their work on Western art, thus starting a unique crossover of Eastern and Western techniques.
Cantonese opera, inscribed in 2009 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the ‘Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity’ is a splendid sensory treat featuring music, drama,
colourful costumes and stagecraft. Virtuosity and Innovation– The Masterful Legacy of
Lam Kar Sing (July 2011-ongoing) went on display at the Heritage Museum in July 2011,
thanks to a generous donation to the museum by this prominent personality in Hong
Kong’s Cantonese Opera scene. The exhibition captures Dr Lam’s pursuit of excellence
in this artform.
Other exhibitions staged by the Heritage Museum to showcase collections and donations
included Imprint of the Heart: Artistic Journey of Huang Xinbo (November 2011-March
2012), and Woo Lung Wong: Exhibition of Cartoonist Louie Yu Tin’s Collection (February
2012-ongoing).
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A World of Culture
Throughout the year, our museums reinforced Hong Kong’s position as an international
cultural hub by hosting important exhibitions from around the world.
Two very different exhibitions came from Britain. The blockbuster Fantastic Creatures
from the British Museum (January 2012-ongoing) at the Museum of Art brought to Hong
Kong a host of mythical creatures spanning different cultures and civilisations from the
British Museum’s collection. The assortment of extraordinary creatures, many of which
have captured human imagination for centuries, left Hong Kong audiences spellbound.
Made in Britain: Contemporary Art from the British Council Collection 1980-2010 (JuneOctober 2011) at the Heritage Museum presented a selection of iconic works by 34 groups
of contemporary British artists including members of the “Young British Artists”.
Long queues were seen outside the Heritage Museum while Pixar: 25 Years of Animation
(March-July 2011) was on. With more than 400 items on display, the exhibition offered
visitors intriguing insights into the creative process behind Pixar’s best-loved films. It was
a tremendous success.
In April 2011, Albert Einstein (1879-1955) (April-August 2011) opened at the Hong Kong
Science Museum (Science Museum) marking the museum’s 20th anniversary. The
exhibition started its tour in China in May 2010. Hong Kong was its third stop after Beijing
and Guangzhou. Our audiences were able to enjoy on their doorstep a remarkable event
that received wide international acclaim when it debuted in the Historical Museum in Bern,
Switzerland in 2005. More than 200 objects, documents, photographs and film footage
shed light on the life of this genius and his revolutionary ideas on modern physics.
In November 2011, Revitalising the Glorious Tradition: The Retrospective Exhibition of Pan
Tianshou’s Art at the Museum of Art (November 2011-February 2012) presented important
representative works of the man honoured as one of the four Traditionalist greats of
Chinese painting, ranking alongside Wu Changshuo, Huang Binhong and Qi Baishi. The
exhibition was co-organised with the China Academy of Art, the Pan Tian-shou Foundation
and the Pan Tianshou Memorial Museum in China. Pan’s monumental ink paintings,
executed with bold and expressive strokes, had a profound impact on the development of
modern Chinese art.
We look forward to more partnering opportunities with the Mainland in the future,
following the signing of the ‘Agreement on Enhancing Exchange and Cooperation in the
Area of Cultural Heritage’ between our Home Affairs Bureau and the State Administration
of Cultural Heritage in December 2011.
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Beyond Borders
Throughout the year, we continued to stage exhibitions beyond the confines of our
museums, bringing art and culture into the community and getting people involved. We
also took our collections to other countries.
The Art Promotion Office spearheaded a variety of initiatives that took art into the public
sphere. Under the Artists in the Neighbourhood Scheme V (June 2011-March 2012), solo
exhibitions by three local artists – Still Lifes and Waves by Ivy Ma, Sea of Hope by Foon
Sham, and The Drawing Observatory by Lam Tung-pang – were staged in district venues
such as a shopping arcade, a hospital and a bookstore.
Government buildings and public spaces became excellent venues to engage people and to
promote and encourage local art and design talent. Distinguished local artists Man Fungyi, Leung Chi-wo and Justin Wong Chiu-tat collaborated with tertiary students to adorn the
offices of the Tsuen Wan Government Offices, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices and
Revenue Tower, in an Art Promotion Office initiative in collaboration with the Hong Kong
Arts Centre and Public Art Hong Kong.
The Office’s Park Deco Scheme (May 2011-ongoing) gave local designers an opportunity
to beautify parks with furniture that merges function, form and art. In May 2011, Quarry
Bay Park transformed into an Oasis along the Seashore, with interesting benches and
lively signage. Following its success, the Scheme was extended to Cornwall Street Park
in Kowloon. In the summer of 2011, the Sai Kung District Council Public Art Project 2009
concluded successfully with the installation of four art works in Man Yee Playground, Po
Tsui Park and Po Hong Park.
March 2012 saw the launch of ArtAlive@Park 2012, a public art exploration programme
that will dress up the Tsim Sha Tsui East Waterfront Podium Garden, the Tai Po
Waterfront Park and Stanley Promenade with functional art created by architecture
students from three local universities. Under the Public Art Project– Tamar, the open
spaces of Tamar are currently being embellished with local art.
Meanwhile, the Film Archive staged a number of exhibitions, including The Glamorous
Black and White– Hong Kong Movie Stars of the 1950s (April 2011) at Lingnan
University, and Faces of Endearment: A Tribute to Supporting Actors (January 2012)
at Tuen Mun Town Hall.
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Throughout 2011, the Hong Kong International Airport became an exciting exhibition
venue with a wide range of exhibitions on display in prominent locations there. Under the
programme themed Glimpses of Old Hong Kong (April 2011-ongoing), the displays offered
a refreshing look at a cross-section of Hong Kong’s history and culture. They included the
Theatre Art of Cantonese Opera, The Art of Cantonese Opera, Bits of Old Hong Kong, and
Memories We Share and Tea Through the Ages. Multi-media, graphic design, audio-visual
materials, props and instruments enhanced the viewing experience for tourists and other
visitors, making this initiative a tremendous success.
Art lovers in the United States were treated to the The Art of Dissent in 17th Century
China: Masterpieces of Ming Loyalist Art from the Chih Lo Lou Collection (September
2011-January 2012) when the Museum of Art collaborated with New York’s Metropolitan
Museum of Art (the Met) to present a collection of more than 60 Chinese paintings and
calligraphy gems at the Met. The first time the Museum has taken Chinese art to the
United States, this was a breakthrough exhibition for us. From January-February 2012, we
staged Modern Chinese Painting and Japan at the Kyoto National Museum. The exhibition
explored modern Chinese painting influenced by Japanese aesthetics.
Over July-November 2011, the Museum of History and the Sun Yat-sen Museum collaborated
to commemorate the centenary of the 1911 Revolution. A number of exhibitions were also
held overseas, including: 1911 Revolution in China: Francis Stafford’s Photo Exhibition,
which toured Canada from July to November 2011; the Second Revolution and Nanyang
held in Singapore from October 2011 to January 2012; and Revolution Once More– Dr Sun
Yat-sen from Xing Zhong Hui to the Governments, in Jinan, China, in October 2011.
To enhance cooperation with other museums, the Museum of History supported the
Soong Ching Ling Residence Administration Center to stage The Evergreen Classic–
Transformation of the Qipao exhibition from April to May 2011 in the Former Residence
of Soong Ching Ling, Beijing by providing them with exhibition materials. The Museum
also supported the National Museum of Singapore to stage their exhibition In the Mood for
Cheongsam: Modernity & Singapore Women from March to June 2012 by lending them our
qipao collections.
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COLLECTIONS
Our Precious Legacy
Our museums build and preserve rich collections that collectively
narrate the dynamic story of Hong Kong’s cultural, historical and natural
heritage. Year after year, we continue to enrich our collections either
through purchase or donation. Continued use and conservation of this valuable legacy
are of prime importance. Throughout the year, the Conservation Office continued
preservation work, providing expertise to keep our collections in good shape to be
enjoyed by present and future generations.
Winds of Fortune
Building our collections is one of our priorities. In 2011-2012, we gratefully received a
number of important donations.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority donated to the Museum of History 5,331 Certificates of
Indebtedness issued between 1935 and 1995.
The collections of Cantonese opera artefacts, including costumes, headgear, shoes, stage
props, librettos and photographs of the Heritage Museum expanded with the gift of around
1,900 items from renowned Cantonese opera star Dr Lam Kar Sing.
The Heritage Museum received a gift of 631 colour slides, featuring the festivals, customs, and
the daily life of people in the New Territories and Hong Kong in the 1960s.
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The Film Archive gained 451 titles distributed by Fortune Star Media Limited, dating
from 1971 to 2005; 138 titles dating from 1980 to 1991, jointly donated by Fortune Star
Media Limited and Golden Princess Amusement Company Limited. In addition, 936 film
titles dating from 1939 to 1998 distributed by Kong Chiao Film Company, Tao Yuen Film
Company, Lui Ming (International) Film Enterprises and First Organisation Limited were
handover from the Television Broadcasts Limited to the Film Archive.
The Heritage Museum acquired over 200 photographs from established and young
emerging photographers. These works reflect the various photographic styles, themes
and perspectives explored by photo artists of different eras.
A year of negotiation with the family of the late cartoonist Louie Yu Tin resulted in the
donation of 132 items of Louie’s works and related materials, including manuscripts,
significantly boosting the Heritage Museum’s collection of comics.
The Heritage Museum received from the late pioneering woodcut artist Huang Xingbo’s
family a donation of 50 original prints by him.
A total of 48 seals by master seal carver and painter Ding Yanyong and a calligraphy work by
scholar calligrapher Yu Youren were donated by Ding’s family to the Museum of Art.
An ink painting by the master of 20th century modern ink painting Zhang Daqian was
donated to the Museum of Art by Mr and Mrs Johnson Chow.
Ms Constance Chang donated to the Museum of Art two significant works of ink painting
with high historical and artistic value by Lu Shoukun, pioneer of the New Ink Painting
Movement in Hong Kong.
Collections form the core of our museums. We have been working hard to enhance our
inventory capacity in anticipation of the growth of our collections. After thorough research,
an area in Tin Shui Wai was identified for construction of a Central Repository to house the
extended collections of our museums as well as the archaeological finds of the Antiquities
and Monuments Office and the film materials of the Film Archive. The Conservation
Office is tasked with coordinating storage of a diverse range of collections for this
dedicated repository.
Treasures within Reach
We are constantly looking for ways to make our resources more accessible and easy to use.
The Museum of History launched a Facebook page Children’s Life in Hong Kong in March
2012. A selection of memorable articles about the childhood of Hong Kong people from
the Museum’s collection was presented on the Facebook page to encourage the public to
share their childhood memories and donate items to the Museum.
The Heritage Museum had a very active year, regularly featuring collections in its
Orientation Theatre. It’s Curator’s Choice events, showcased its collection of Lam Wu Fui’s
paintings as well as selected artefacts from the museum’s local history, Cantonese opera,
folk arts and popular culture collections.
At the Film Archive, an important revamp of the computer information system – currently a
mix of library cataloguing and collection database systems – was set in motion, enhancing
its public information search functions. The new Film Archive Management System (FAMS)
will be more user-friendly and will easily generate more detailed search results. It will
provide controlled workflow features, enabling users to process their tasks through preset guided paths. The new system is expected to roll out in 2013.
Keeping the Story Alive
One of our core functions is to safeguard our precious artefacts. We revitalise, restore and
maintain objects of historic and cultural significance, preventing often irrevocable loss.
Conservation demands continual care of cultural artefacts and our Conservation Office
plays a crucial role in implementing preventative and interventive conservation measures
across our museums. Throughout the year, the Conservation Office worked to preserve
valuable cultural properties by controlling environmental parameters, biological activities
and human factors, including pest control and damage caused by handling and neglect.
They also deployed state-of-the-art interventive conservation tools and techniques to
treat and preserve individual items, and restore damaged rare objects, some of which are
irreplaceable. In 2011-2012, the Conservation Office preserved about 2,000 items.
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EDUCATION
Learning with Pleasure
Our museums are vibrant and interactive open platforms of learning. In the year, we
continued to educate our audiences through a variety of exciting extension activities.
In particular, our museum school programmes enabled schools to complement school
curriculums with stimulating alternative learning experiences. Our workshops, guided
tours, camps and competitions gave young people many opportunities to immerse
themselves in fun, interactive learning activities outside their classrooms.
Explore, Discover, Experience
Knowledge experienced is a lesson learned. Throughout the year, the museums
offered plenty of stimulating learning experiences, including special programmes and
supplementary thematic activities to enrich the exhibition experience.
One such programme was the Hong Kong Space Museum (Space Museum) seven-day
Young Astronaut Training Camp, which gave a group of students the chance to experience
a little about the life of an astronaut. During summer holidays, they travelled to Beijing
where they visited major space facilities such as the China Academy of Space Technology,
Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, Xilong and Miyun Observation Stations of
the National Astronomical Observatories, and the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre where
they were introduced to basic space science and astronautical training. They learned about
dining in space, escape and survival, psychological and blood redistribution adaptability,
and how to wear spacesuits. After a test of what they had learned, the Hong Kong
youngsters departed with certificates.
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Meanwhile, a number of special programmes made student visits to the Science Museum
even more stimulating. The signature Joint School Science Exhibition, which entered its
44th year in August 2011, and the Science Alive programme, organised in collaboration
with the British Council, Education Bureau and Hong Kong Education City Limited were
two such events. Last year, the latter programme was themed International Year of
Chemistry. As in previous years, a number of guest speakers, including leading academics
and experts in the field, were invited to the event.
In October 2011, at the Distinguished Chinese Scientists Lecture Series organised by the
Science Museum, eminent Mainland and Hong Kong scientists brought our audiences up
to date on cutting-edge science topics.
People were captivated when they saw rare astronomical events through telescopes set
up along the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui and other public locations by the Space
Museum. On December 10, 2011, for example, on the Night of Total Lunar Eclipse, about
3,000 people turned up to observe the total lunar eclipse through telescopes and other
instruments, guided by Space Museum staff.
Meanwhile, the Museum of History introduced its first Inter-school Competition of Project
Learning on Hong Kong’s History and Culture, from November 2011 to March 2012. This
programme was a fresh, inspiring approach to foster students’ awareness of and interest
in Hong Kong’s historical development and unique cultural heritage, which also improved
their primary research skills. A total of 131 entries were received from 556 local secondary
students who had competed in tracing Hong Kong’s urban development through field trips
and projects. The Museum also made its first attempt at using social media platforms
such as Facebook and Twitter to launch the An Enlightening Encounter: Examinations and
Life essay writing and sharing competition. In January 2012, 710 entries were received
from local secondary school students.
Historians shared their insights on the Cultural Revolution, at the Centenary of China’s 1911
Revolution Symposium, a key event in the line-up of activities organised at the Museum of
History to commemorate this event.
A series of workshops and talks were organised at the Heritage Museum to give visitors
a better understanding of the blockbuster exhibition Pixar: 25 Years of Animation. These
supplementary activities included school programmes such as the Around the World of
Animation: Fun with English Tour, which introduced students to their star characters and
their native tongue, English. To coincide with the exhibition Virtuosity and Innovation: The
Masterful Legacy of Lam Kar Sing, a series of educational programmes were held at the
Heritage Museum. One example was an outreach programme, The Masterful Legacy of
Lam Kar Sing– A Sharing Session on the Inheritance of Cantonese Opera, co-organised
with Lam Kar Sing Foundation, which was held at the Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural
Centre. Dr Lam shared with over 1,500 visitors his on-stage charm and commitment to
Cantonese opera.
The Art Promotion Office, together with the Arts Education Section of the Education
Bureau and Po Leung Kuk, organised a number of international art programmes to
nurture creativity and artistic talent among young people. The International Students’
Visual Arts Contest-cum-Exhibition of Hong Kong – Photography (August 2011) featured
100 works by primary and secondary school students from around the world. Ties with
the Great Pearl River Delta were strengthened when the Art Promotion Office joined
forces with Mainland municipal institutions to organise The Hong Kong Graphic Art
Fiesta 2011: Xin Yi Dai– An International University Students Exchange Exhibition.
The School Culture Day Scheme (SCDS), which
encourages schools to send their students to LCSD
cultural venues during school time, continued
throughout the period. The Conservation Office
organised the SCDS activities to encourage students
to visit our museums and experience the fun and
challenge of conservation. Under this scheme, more
than 300 students from nine schools participated in
experimental workshops and laboratory guided tours.
The Understanding Conservation of Oil Paintings and
Anatomy of Textiles workshops were particularly
well-received.
Technology has played a significant role in shaping our educational programmes.
Tying in with its Hong Kong Currency (March 2012-ongoing) exhibition, the Museum
of History organised the Modern e-legends e-quiz Competition 2011-12, immersing
primary school students and their parents in the history of Hong Kong’s currency and
e-learning.
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Special Engagements
Throughout the year, we introduced a number of special programmes to assist the public
to understand the practices of museology.
The annual International Museum Day (IMD), on May 18, 2011, was themed Museum
and Memory: Objects tell your story. We marked the occasion with a series of events,
such as free visits on the weekend following IMD and workshops in May 2011, to enthuse
the public about the important role museums play in communities. For example,
the Conservation Office organised thematic workshops through which participants
experienced the challenges and joys of conservation work. In the Goodbye Sellotape
workshops, they learned how our conservators fix damages such as tears on paper
objects. In the Wonder Plaster workshops, experts guided participants in casting and
gold gilding techniques on plaster.
culture. After graduation, they served as the museum’s ambassadors in their schools
and/or provided guided tour services in the Museum’s Children’s Discovery Gallery.
In July 2011, the Museum of Art organised the annual Summer Art Cadet programme for
students from the Small Group Homes of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs Association of Hong
Kong in Tin Shui Wai, Tuen Mun and Tsz Wan Shan. Guided by experienced instructors, the
young participants delighted in expressing themselves through art.
Meanwhile, the Museum of History continued to organise the Junior Curator Training
Course. The intensive training programme, in July 2011, included visits, behind-the-scene
tours, workshops and a final presentation of a group project by the participants. In October
2011, the Internship Project of Future Curator, a museum volunteer scheme, was
launched to encourage students to join the Museum of History’s volunteer service.
In the Becoming a miniMuseGuide Three-Star Award Scheme organised by the Heritage
Museum, children learned the basic knowledge and skills of a museum guide, while
deepening their understanding of local culture and history. The miniMuseGuides took
invitees on a special tour of the IMD.
The MuseKids programme, launched by the Heritage Museum in 2003, is a free
membership scheme that gives children from kindergarten to primary six a chance
to explore art and culture. There were 5,779 MuseKids in the year 2011-2012. The
parallel youth leadership scheme of the Heritage Museum, MuseTeens, similarly
targeted secondary school students. During the summer, 57 students were admitted as
MuseTeens to participate in training activities on museum work and learn about art and
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AUDIENCE BUILDING
Captivating Audiences
Hong Kong’s museums attracted around 5.6 million visitors in 2011-12. We employed
a two-pronged strategy to boost visitor numbers: attracting new visitors to our
museums and encouraging existing patrons to re-visit. To achieve this goal, we
created a balanced and diverse programme mix, strengthened the branding of
individual museums and enhanced publicity efforts. The number of visitors shows
that our exciting spectrum of exhibitions and programmes appealed to a broad
range of audiences with varied interests.
Museum Pass: The Magic Key
The Museum Pass is the must-have key to
seven major LCSD museums: the Museum of Art, Museum of
History, Heritage Museum, Science Museum, Space Museum,
Museum of Coastal Defence and the Sun Yat-sen Museum.
This vital tool gives the holder unlimited admission to all
these museums. We boosted publicity efforts to promote the
pass as a value-for-money means to enjoy a variety of museum programmes. This
incentive supplements our existing discounts on purchases at museum bookshops and the
fee rebate for museum activities.
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Extraordinary Experiences
Throughout the year, our museums offer a rich variety of exhibitions and educational
activities to the public. In the fiscal year, we augmented these offerings with a number of
very special programmes which proved to be highly popular with the community.
In November 2011, the Science Museum opened its doors at night for the unique A Night
at the Science Museum programme, organised jointly with The University of Hong Kong
and IBM Hong Kong. The programme saw more than 600 students and teachers spend two
nights at the museum, engaging in interactive activities and exploring the vast arenas of
science and engineering. It transformed the museum experience into a special night-time
study of humankind’s scientific progress.
In February 2012, Valentine’s Day Delights presented members of the public with a
celebration of romance and culture, against the backdrop of art, music and astronomy.
Four museums joined forces to create this memorable occasion. The multi-faceted
programme provided participants with a wide variety of activities such as learning how to
use blue-print cynaotype to design T-shirts at the Art Promotion Office, sampling a variety
of delicious Chinese tea at the Museum of Tea Ware, visiting Hong Kong Geopark and the Space
Museum’s Hong Kong Astropark, listening to romantic stories about the constellations at the
Space Museum’s Stanley Ho Space Theatre, creating light-graffiti photographs at nightfall, as
well as enjoying sensuous tango dancing and musical shows at the Museum of Art.
In 2011, the public enjoyed watching movies under the stars when the Film Archive
presented a series of outdoor film shows at the District Free Entertainment Programmes
Gala and the New Year’s Eve Countdown Carnival. These free outreach programmes
encouraged film appreciation among the people, while giving them the opportunity to learn
more about society through the medium of film. The Film Archive also established close
working relations with Broadway Cinematheque, which featured selected titles from the
Archive’s programme, 100 Must-See Hong Kong Movies.
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Reaching Out
In the year, we organised a variety of campaigns to reach out to the widest possible
audiences. The integrated publicity push, including conventional advertising channels
as well as collaborations with institutions such as universities and shopping malls to
promote our museum programmes in their premises and / or on their websites, brought
in the crowds.
In March 2012, we launched the Hong Kong Public Museums portal (www.museums.
gov.hk), an exciting one-stop multi-media platform to the 14 museums and four cultural
offices / venues under the management of the LCSD. This user-friendly portal presents
information under subject areas such as art, history and science, enabling easy
access to programmes of interest. Attention-grabbing video clips of exhibition highlights
complement static information to enhance the learning process. Adding an interactive
element, visitors can easily share content, including videos and photographs, through
social networking platforms. We will continue to expand and fine-tune the site based on
user feedback. Meanwhile, a ‘My Culture’ mobile app is being developed to help people on
the move keep in touch with the latest museum and performing art programmes in town.
In April 2012, the Museum of Art and the Heritage Museum celebrated an important
milestone. They were among the first museums in Asia to join the ground-breaking
Google Art Project, a super virtual museum that makes our best artefacts available to
viewers around the world. A total of 187 artworks covering Chinese fine art, modern art,
historical pictures, antiquities, photography and design, are now on display to the world
on this platform.
Drawing Tourists
Tourists are an important segment of our audience. Throughout the year, we conducted
targeted publicity campaigns to attract tourists from the Mainland and other countries to
our museums. One such initiative was the introduction of Enchanting Museums, a handy
pocket-sized guide available for free pick up at Hong Kong Tourism Board visitor centres
and major hotels and tourist spots. This little booklet provides in a nutshell an overview of
all our museums, their special focuses and star collections. To help tourists make the best
use of their time in Hong Kong, it also recommends routes showing museum locations
and other attractions in the vicinity. A digital version of this book, together with videos on
recommended routes, is available on the museum portal.
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Culture for All
We believe that culture is for everyone. Our programmes are inclusive of socially
disadvantaged groups such as the elderly, the disadvantaged and minorities. In the year,
we ran a number of very successful programmes targeting such groups with special needs.
In March 2012, the Museum of Art teamed up with the Art with the Disabled Association
Hong Kong to allow people with disabilities to fully enjoy our Adventurous Tour with
Fantastic Animals exhibition. Through verbal description of the images, tactile exhibits and
special activities, participants learned about the myths and stories of fantastic creatures
from different cultures. In association with The Hong Kong Society for the Deaf, we provided
sign-language interpretation on public tours for the benefit of hearing-impaired visitors.
To strengthen ties between the community and the museum, the Heritage Museum
organised education programmes throughout the year under the Social Harmony Project
for underprivileged groups programme. This project provided a platform for them to take
part in arts and cultural activities. By organising exhibition guided tours, demonstrations,
workshops and other programmes, the museum gave members of different communities
the opportunity to broaden their vision, enrich their quality of life and improve their ability
to integrate better into society.
We are committed to equal opportunities. Throughout the year, the Art Promotion Office,
together with Hong Kong Open Printshop, presented Together We Stride, a community art
promotion project, to bring the joy of art to members of different communities with special
needs, such as the elderly, new immigrants, low-income families, children of compulsive
gamblers, teenage mothers, and differently-abled children. They joined workshops in a
variety of media such as print, ceramics and painting, and their creations were exhibited in
public in August 2011.
Separately, the Art Promotion Office in partnership with the Centre for Community
Cultural Development, organised the Beautiful World Art Summer Camps. Members of
rehabilitation centres, Hong Kong Association of the Deaf and Caritas Lok Mo Integrated
Vocational Training Centre, sketched, created environmental art, and engaged in storytelling activities. They made masks in which they staged mini-performances, and created
shadow puppets with which they did group skits.
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CA PAC I T Y B U I L D I N G
People for Museums
Throughout the year, we strived to enhance public appreciation of arts and
culture. Many of our programmes were designed to harmonise art, culture and
communities, strengthen the local creative identity, while fostering young talent
and promoting art and culture as part of everyday life.
Cultivating Culture
Nurturing creative talent was a key focus this year. Our museums introduced a rich variety of
programmes to foster fresh creative talent by providing them with opportunities and platforms
for creative expression, and also stimulated community engagement in culture and the arts.
To nurture museum professionals, we launched the Museum Trainee Programme in
2010. 10 graduates from local and overseas universities in disciplines such as the Fine
Arts, Visual Arts,History of Arts, History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Communication
Studies, Cultural Management and Architecture have been recruited for training for a
two-year period. Attached to the Museum of Art, Museum of History, Heritage Museum,
Film Archive, Art Promotion Office and the Central Conservation Section, the trainees,
guided by supervisors, learnt how to manage museum services and organise education
programmes. They also got hands-on experience in curating exhibitions and projects. The
second phase of the Museum Trainee Programme started in late 2012 for 15 trainees.
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ArtAlive@Park, organised by the Art Promotion Office, entered its third phase in 2011. Led
by academics and artists including Kevin Fung Lik-yan, Danny Lee Chin-fai, and Ivy Ma
King-chu, this public art exploration programme is nurturing creativity in a new generation
of university students.
Under the theme Art x Architecture, students from The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty
of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong’s School of Architecture and City
University’s Division of Building Science and Technology designed and installed works
tailored for sites in Tsim Sha Tsui East Waterfront Podium Garden, Tai Po Waterfront Park
and Stanley Promenade. Free guided tours, fun concerts and multi-media shows staged
by Hulu Culture, the collaborating curator of the exhibition, stirred the audience. Similar
programmes organised by the Art Promotion Office included the Park Deco Scheme and
Art@ Government Buildings project.
The Art Promotion Office also embarked on the exciting transformation of the Grade II
historical monument at No. 12 Oil Street in North Point into a new art space. Work on
the historical red-brick complex, built in 1908, has begun. When completed in mid-2013,
it will provide both outdoor and indoor exhibition space for our artists. To cultivate art
appreciation, 12 Oil Street: Casting brought together members of the public and artists in
this red-brick complex. Under this excellent community engagement project, 12 groups
of people from various walks of life and 12 artists worked together to create unique
photographic interpretations of this extraordinary venue. Their works have been exhibited
on the internet since January 2012.
The traditions, practices and customs of Hong Kong are the collective treasury of our living
cultural heritage. For this heritage to survive, it must have an appreciative audience. So
the Heritage Museum promoted our intangible cultural heritage (ICH) through exhibitions,
seminars and collaborations with community organisations to organise outreach
programmes. Field trips were arranged o bring people out of the museum to traditional
local festivals– giving them the opportunity to visit the communities where these traditions
originated and developed.
The Heritage Museum also took efforts to foster local folk arts by inviting master crafters
to make traditional hand-made festive crafts, including revolving lantern paper effigies of
dragon, lion and unicorn for display at the 2011 Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival at Victoria
Park and at the 2012 Lunar New Year lantern carnivals held in different community
venues. To promote appreciation of local handicrafts, they also offered lantern-making
demonstrations at the 2012 Lunar New Year lantern carnivals.
In association with the Pixar: 25 Years of Animation exhibition and in collaboration with the
School of Creative Media of City University of Hong Kong, the Heritage Museum organised
an international symposium Animated Imaginary: Global Pioneers of Contemporary
Art Animation: USA, Europe and Asia Symposium in May 2011. Experts from the Pixar
Animation Studios and professionals from Europe, Japan and the Mainland were invited to
talk to Hong Kong audiences about the development of animation in various places.
The Heritage Museum teamed up with the Hong Kong Open Printshop to organise a series
of complementary fringe activities associated with the Imprint of the Heart: Artistic Journey
of Huang Xinbo exhibition. In this programme, tertiary and secondary school students were
invited to participate in the Life Impression: A Printmaking Quartet workshops conducted
for four months as a prelude and response to the exhibition. Led by Printshop artists,
participants mastered the theory and practice of the four basic steps of printmaking, from
conception and manuscript drawing to carving and printing. Outstanding works were
exhibited as a cross-generational response to Huang’s masterpieces.
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Enrich Through Exchange
Museum crossover programmes infuse fresh dimensions to the viewing experience.
Sunday afternoons have taken a whole new meaning at the Museum of Art with the
introduction of music performances in the Museum Lobby. The Sound of Art on Sunday is a
delightful concert series initiated by The Friends of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Among
the many musicians invited to perform last year was Guqin master Sou Si-tai, whose soulful
Chinese guqin performance echoed the beauty of the ongoing Wu Guanzhong exhibition.
To accompany the Fashion Visionaries exhibition co-organised by the Heritage Museum
and the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association, a fun-filled fashion show was held
in November 4, 2011 to mark the exhibition opening. Top models graced the runway in
clothes designed by participating fashion designers. Four fashion shows were held in the
museum’s courtyard during the exhibition period.
In the year, the Hong Kong Railway Museum (Railway Museum), Sam Tung Uk Museum
and the Museum of Tea Ware joined the LCSD Cultural Presentations Section to present
a number of crossover programmes under the Live! at Museums series. This exciting
programme featured Hakka mountain songs and Guangdong music performed under the
tree at the Railway Museum in November 2011, and a drama programme Our Memorable
Moment held in railway carriages and the old station building of the Railway Museum in
February and March 2012. In February 2012, the Sam Tung Uk Museum transformed into
a performing arts venue when contemporary dancers and a Hakka folk singer combined
their talents in 3D Museum in Motion.
At the Museum of Tea Ware, two musical performances amplified the atmosphere of the
tea ware on display, the tea service, and the historical building. The Shanghai Pingtan
Troupe performed as part of the Chinese Opera Festival. Liszt’s Portrait in Words and
Music, a beautiful fusion of a piano recital and a reading of the great musician’s letters,
reviews and reminiscences, enthralled audiences. The latter was also part of the LCSD
From Liszt to Mahler – A Musical Zeitgeist series.
The Art Promotion Office continued to organise programmes promoting new art form. The
Artist in Residence 2010– New Media Art@VAC series, featuring young contemporary
artist-duo Hephaistion + Saffie, who took up residence at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
(Visual Arts Centre), came to a close in May 2011. The residency ended with a self-directed
performance fusing with new media art at the Visual Arts Centre in May 2011 when the
audience interacted with the artists. The duo also led a series of new media-related
activities and events, offering the public an opportunity to be an artist for a day, inspiring
their artistic potential.
From October to November 2011, local artist Nicole Mak staged an interactive multimedia
exhibition Behind the Camera, showcasing a series of interactive video installations.
The exhibition explored the value of film-making, the truth behind the images and the
relationship between director and audience.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND
PA R T N E R S H I P
Evolving in Concert
Together we progress. We value our communities and do our best to maintain close
touch with all our stakeholders, in particular, the general public. We have developed a
variety of channels to seek and incorporate their views to ensure that our programmes
and services reflect their preferences and aspirations.
Throughout the year, we sought opportunities to form synergistic partnerships with
various stakeholders to present art and culture for public enjoyment. We believe that
art and culture is a very good area for the private sector to engage in corporate social
responsibility and contribute to the society.
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Leading the Way
LCSD museums greatly benefitted from vital partnerships with the Museum Advisory
Panels (MAPs) and Expert Advisers. Throughout the year, they were a source of valuable
advice on various aspects of our work. Three panels, namely Art MAP, History MAP and
Science MAP, were appointed by the Secretary for Home Affairs in October 2010 to advise
LCSD on the positioning, strategies for development, promotion and management of the
respective public museum streams. A total of 170 Museum Expert Advisers advise our
museums on operational matters, in particular the acquisition of cultural objects and
special exhibition research projects. With the assistance and support of these experts,
the museums were able to strengthen their collections, roll out new programmes and
implement new marketing strategies in the past year.
People for Museums
Our museums belong to the people and we attach great importance to working with
members of the general public. All our museums hold regular partnership projects
with the local community. In mid-2011, we conducted comprehensive exit surveys and
household surveys about our museum services. While the positive rating of about 90 per
cent indicated a high level of satisfaction, they also shed light on areas for improvement,
such as renewal of permanent exhibitions, enhanced publicity, and extended opening
hours. We sought public views on specific projects/issues whenever necessary. E-survey
and focus group discussions were held to collect views on the improvement of the Hong
Kong Public Museums portal. The important findings of these surveys will shape our
future plans.
Helping Hands
Hong Kong’s large pool of art and culture lovers have pledged their support to help further our
mission in a variety of ways, from forming fans clubs to providing docent/volunteer services.
To promote general awareness of conservation and garner community support for this
work, the Conservation Office recruited about 50 volunteers during the year, including
specialist conservators in various disciplines. The volunteers generously contributed a
significant number of service hours to restoring paper artefacts, textiles, historical cannons,
archaeological coins and ethnographic objects, as well as organising various educational
and extension programmes. Eleven volunteers received Outstanding Conservation Volunteer
awards for their exemplary service.
Meanwhile, the Friends of the Hong Kong Museum of Art supported the Hong Kong
Contemporary Art Biennial Awards by granting cash awards and study awards to
10 outstanding artists. The Friends also supported the Museum of Art’s education
programmes in many ways, for example, sponsoring coach services for local schools and
non-profit making organisations, as well as the Summer Art Cadets 2011 programme for
underprivileged children.
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Caring and Support
Our museums were fortunate to receive generous donations of cash and kind during
the year. Such sponsorship enabled us to stage a number of exhibitions and allowed the
public to enjoy our precious artefacts at very low cost. For example, the AV equipment
of the blockbuster exhibition Pixar: 25 Years of Animation held at the Heritage Museum
was sponsored by Samsung. Hong Kong producer and founder of Golden Harvest Studio,
Raymond Chow Man-wai, kindly donated the cash prize of the Lifetime Achievement Award
he received from the 5th Asian Film Awards to the Film Archive, to fund a new print of the
restored King Hu classic, The Valiant Ones (1975).
Going the Distance
In the fiscal year, the LCSD continued to forge partnerships with various external
organisations, increasing exposure of our exhibitions and programmes and extending
the museum experience beyond their physical space to people who are not familiar
with their offerings.
Such collaborations included:
Joint exhibitions and programmes – Our partnership with the Hong Kong Airport Authority,
which began in 2010, continued in the year, enabling us to hold a variety of exhibitions in
the Hong Kong Airport terminal, taking the museum experience to an audience of about 1.7
million visitors in 2011.
The Art Promotion Office worked with different organisations to offer community and public
art programmes. In January 2012, the Office collaborated with the Architectural Services
Department to invite local and international art talent to submit proposals for ingenious
sports-themed artworks for the Indoor Velodrome-cum-Sports Centre in Area 45, Tseung
Kwan O project under the Public Art Scheme of the Town Park. The Art Promotion Office also
joined hands with Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Art in Hospital, Commercial Press (HK) Limited
and The Link Management Limited to show works of Hong Kong artists in the hospital, book
centre and shopping centre.
Our partners also provided venue space. The Film Archive jointly launched a new initiative to
partner with Starbucks in a new store project entitled Hong Kong Proud, to introduce film,
media and the visual arts to young people. Since March 2012, the Archive also extended its
in-house exhibition, The Wheel of Time: 100 Years of Light and Shadow, to conduct monthly
seminars at the Starbucks flagship cafe in Sai Yee Street, Mong Kok.
Other collaborations achieved during the year included the cross promotion between the
Museum Pass and Magic Access of Hong Kong Disneyland, and collaboration with Google
to showcase the collections of the Museum of Art and the Heritage Museum on the Google
Art Project. In the year ahead, we will continue to consolidate and strengthen our efforts on
various fronts, exploring, in particular, how best to engage the public online.
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VISITOR SERVICES
Access to All
Fresh New Looks
The Visual Arts Centre, a Grade I historic building, and its studios, were given a fresh new
look after a large-scale renovation from 2011-2012. It is managed by the Art Promotion Office.
The Museum of Art has been actively planning refurbishment to cope with the surging
demand for exhibition areas and space for educational programmes.
Aids for Special Needs
Throughout the year, we continued to improve our facilities not only to
enhance the museum experience, but also to make them accessible
to all. We endeavour to provide pleasant and inspiring environments,
equipped with facilities and services that make visits enjoyable for
everyone, from children to the elderly, the able and the disabled.
Braille publications and captions, tactile maps, guided tours and sign interpretation
services were introduced in many of our programmes such as the Artists in Residence
and the Artists in Neighbourhood Scheme run by the Art Promotion Office, to make them
accessible to all. Renovation work at the Visual Arts Centre has made it more easy for the
disabled. We appointed Access Officers to regularly review and implement various barrierfree measures at the Centre.
The Heritage Museum also enhanced its facilities for people with disabilities. Improvement
works, including additional parking spaces, installation of tactile guard paths, non-slip
nosing, handrails and kerbs, as well as expanding disabled washrooms and accessible
passage for wheelchair users, which started in December 2011, is targeted for completion
in 2013.
In May 2011, an induction loop system was installed at the Ticketing Office of the Dr Sun
Yat-sen Museum to improve accessibility for hearing-impaired visitors. The Barrier Free
Access improvement works at the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery are
underway, for completion by June 2012.
The Film Archive has also strived to provide a barrier-free environment. Following a
feasibility study, improvement works are now underway and scheduled for completion by
June 2012. More improvements, such as modification of the existing accessible toilets, new
Braille and tactile signs for steps and so on, are due for completion in March 2015.
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RESEARCH AND INSTITUTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Growing from Within
Supporting and promoting professional training initiatives is one of our primary objectives.
We set up a Task Force for Staff Professional Development to identify effective sustainable
professional development activities for staff. Professional development opportunities have
been identified to broaden vocational exposure and raise work standards. Appropriate channels
or opportunities to publicise and reward professional excellence have also been identified.
Enhancing Performance
In response to the current community demands to adopt industry best practices as our
benchmark, we have developed a new set of quantitative and qualitative indicators in
various areas covering level of access, audience profile, scale of exhibitions / programmes /
collections, degree of community involvement, public views, strength of resources, extent
of research, and peer and professional assessments. The indicators further promote
management accountability and transparency.
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Scholarly • Professional
Research and publication of achievements continue to be an important part of our pursuit
for professional excellence. In the year, we undertook over 30 research and study projects
and issued about 50 publications, including exhibition catalogues, research papers and
thematic articles were published.
A highlight of the research projects was a comprehensive study of the History Museums
Section’s invaluable numismatic collection, shedding light on the great variety of coins
and notes that have circulated in Hong Kong over the past 170 years. The Section also
completed a research study on Canadian Troops in the Battle of Hong Kong, successfully
identifying about 50 images, related books, reports, newspapers and maps that show the
lives of the Canadian soldiers during the Battle of Hong Kong (1941) and their experiences
in POW camps.
The interpersonal relationships of Dr Sun Yat Sen’s and comprehensive insights into his
revolutionary campaign were investigated in a research paper entitled Map of Dr Sun Yatsen’s Interpersonal Relationships in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau, also undertaken
by the History Museum Section.
It also started two exciting new research projects. Hong Kong Icons and Children’s Life
in Hong Kong aims to capture the memories of local people. Meanwhile, a research study
into the historical ties between American Chinese and Hong Kong is now in progress. It
is meant to tie in with the renovation project of the museum’s permanent exhibition, The
Hong Kong Story. Further, groundwork for an important study on the political, social and
economic developments of Hong Kong from 1978 to the present day was completed and
research will soon begin.
During the year, the Heritage Museum, in collaboration with university scholars, began
research projects on local heritage. They included the Oral History Research Project on the
Jiao Festival of Cheung Chau with in-depth interviews with the organising committees and
elderly participants of the Festival; In Search of Bruce Lee, examining the different roles
and identities of Bruce Lee as well as his influence on pop culture; and the study of the
museum’s Tai Ping Theatre collection from business, theatrical and social perspectives.
The findings will be published when research is completed.
The Science Museum reaped the rewards of intensive research on exhibit development
during the year. The Cloud Ring and Colour Shadow exhibits currently on display in the
Children’s Gallery and Light Gallery respectively and five new interactive exhibits to be
installed in the Prototype Zone of the Science Museum are the results of this hard work.
Two conservation papers, Museum Object Conservation Documentation System in Hong
Kong and Value Fallacy: Preservation of Street Graffiti, were accepted for presentation
at the 16th International Council of Museums– Conservation Committee (ICOM-CC)
Triennial conference and the international seminar Sharing Conservation Decisions –
Current Issues and Future Strategies, convened by the International Centre for the Study
of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).
The Film Archive continued to conduct research on Hong Kong’s filmography and oral
history through interviews with film veterans. Thematic research on Wong Fei Hung films
and Amoy-dialect films in Hong Kong was also conducted.
We also capitalised on the opportunity to promote our endeavours and the cultural
development of Hong Kong to our overseas counterparts by accepting an invitation to host
the 2014 International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.
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D I R E C T O R AT E , S E N I O R M A N A G E M E N T ,
M U S E U M A D V I S O R Y PA N E L S A N D
MUSEUM EXPERT ADVISERS