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can also be considered as the future direction for our museums. Museums should work towards becoming 'museums without walls' so that visitors will not be separated from our collections. I think the motion is a very good one in working towards such an aim. It will actively take collections in the storeroom to the public in different regions and parks. Or we can consider displaying different themes for the public to make the public more interested. This motion is really worth our support. I hope that Members will join me in vowing support for the motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. LAI HOK-LIM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, popularization of art has always been an important objective of the Democratic Party. We therefore support measures to popularize art. Our Party supports this motion today.
I wish to point out that, apart from providing space for the display of works of art or setting up display facilities, we can do more by making allowances for art display or exhibition facilities in our new venues. Display formats should not be limited to objects, pictures and other items should be included too. When we visited some civic or recreation centres, we found that the interior designs were quite dull. I think we should make use of the walls or other space to exhibit some photos of our cultural or art activities or some other objects.
I must also mention that the above should not be the only way, rather, it is just one of the several ways, to solve the problem of poor attendance rate at the Museum of Art. The Hong Kong Museum of Art will have to continue reviewing the reasons for poor attendance rate and exhibition rate. Such a review must continue as an on-going exercise. We should not drop it after implementing the above suggestion.
We must not forget the allocation of resources when we implement this suggestion. We cannot allow the museums to make this motion an excuse for endless expansion or unreasonable enlargement of their collections without being accountable to the public by achieving a proper display rate. In supporting this motion, I have raised the above points for consideration at the Museums Select Committee. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Joseph Lai Chi-keong (in Cantonese):—Art comes from the people, and daily lives. Therefore, works of art should be among the people. I give Mr. LAM's motion my full support. However, I think there were real reasons for Hong Kong to be called a cultural desert before. I remember when I last went to Taiwan and arrived at the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taoyuan, Taipei, I had to walk along a long corridor displayed with different works of art. I immediately felt the greatness of Chinese culture because the works of art shone with the wisdom of the Chinese people. But what do we see at the Kai Tak Airport? Yes, it is certainly correct to display works of art at venues managed by the Urban Council, but as pointed out by several other colleagues, works of art should be displayed at various public places as well, for example the future Chek Lap Kok Airport or railway stations or even
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