RECREATION, SPORTS AND THE ARTS
Regional Council Venues
The Regional Council manages three major civic centres in Sha Tin, Tsuen Wan and Tuen Mun and three smaller ones in Tai Po, Sheung Shui and Yuen Long. Two new theatres in Kwai Tsing and Yuen Long are under construction and are scheduled for completion in 1997-98.
Urban Council Museums
Hong Kong Museum of Art
The Hong Kong Museum of Art received 193 181 visitors and 356 school parties in 1996. The permanent galleries of Contemporary Hong Kong Art, Historical Pictures, Chinese Antiquities and Chinese Fine Art and Xubaizhai Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy continued to display selected works from the museum collection on a rotation basis.
The Special Exhibition Gallery I continued to be a venue for major local and overseas exhibitions of Chinese and Western art. The Special Exhibition Gallery 2, which was reconstructed from two orientation rooms, started to stage exhibitions in small scale from April onwards.
The year's major events included the Contemporary Hong Kong Art Biennial 1996, an open competition and exhibition; Infinite Image and Space A Retrospective of Zao Wou-ki, a joint presentation with the Consulate General of France; Chinese Jade Animals; Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy, jointly organised with the Chinese. Calligrapher's Association of Hong Kong; Views Along the Pearl River Delta, jointly organised with the Peabody Essex Museum of Salem, Massachusetts, USA; 11th Asian Watercolour Confederation Annual Exhibition 1996, a joint presentation with the Hong Kong Modern Art Society of Watercolours; In Pursuit of Antiquities: Thirty-fifth Anniversary Exhibition of the Min Chiu Society, a joint presentation with the Min Chiu Society; The Art of Lee Byng; 19 Hong Kong Artists Series Exhibitions by Chung Tai-fu, Fung Wing-kee, Jane Burrell, Cheng Ming, Choi Kai-yan, Ou Da- wei, Ho Choi-on, Jin Ming, Lau Shuk-fan, Li Ki-kwok, Hui Yan-ki, Man Chi-wah, Anissa Fung, Hung Hoi, Poon Chun-wah, So Man-yee, Tien Chi, Wan Siu-wan and Harold Wong. Special acoustic guide services on most of these exhibits were available to visitors.
Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware presented Chinese Tea Drinking: Selected Works of Chinese Tea Ware from the K.S. Lo Collection; Chinese Ceramics and Seals Donated by the K.S. Lo Foundation, an exhibition in coincidence with the grand opening of the new extension, K.S. Lo Gallery; Teatime in Flanders, a joint presentation with the Port Authority Bruges-Zeebrugge of Belgium; Selected Works of Yixing Purple Clay Wares from the K.S. Lo Collection; and Hong Kong Tea Competition, an open competition.
Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre
Installation,
The Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre presented New Horizon in Art curated by the Hong Kong Visual Arts Research Society; Hong Kong Ceramics 1985-1995, curated by the Contemporary Ceramics Society, Hong Kong. The centre
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