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MONDAY, FEBRUMMY 14, 1983
BESIDES MOUNTING EXHIBITIONS OF ITEMS FROM ITS OWN COLLECTION, THE MUSEUM AIMS AT PROVIDING A BALANCED PROGRAMME TO INTRODUCE TO THE PUBLIC THE BEST WORKS OF ART FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.
AS AN EXAMPLE, HE CITED THE EXHIBITION OF ANCIENT CHINESE BRONZES NOW BEING HELD TILL APRIL 3 AT THE MUSEUM. IT FEATURES 50 ANCIENT CHINESE BRONZES DATING FROM THE SHANG DYNASTY (16TH TO 11TH CENTURY B.C.) TO THE WARRING STATES PERIOD (5TH TO 3RD CENTURY B.C.). THE EXHIBITS ARE SELECTED FROM THE BRONZE COLLECTION OF THE SHANGHAI MUSEUM.
DISPLAY FROM OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDE PICASSO-INTIME HELD RECENTLY. IT CONSISTED OF 86 PAINTINGS, WATERCOLOURS, SCULPTURES AND CERAMICS BY ONE OF THE GREATEST 20TH CENTURY ARTISTS CHOSEN FROM THE COLLECTION OF HIS DAUGHTER, MAYA RUIZ-PICASSO.
+THE MUSEUM ALSO ASSUMES MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES TO PROMOTE ART EDUCATION BEYOND ITS PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES,+ MR TAM POINTED OUT.
LECTURES ON ART ARE ORGANISED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH FAMOUS LOCAL AND OVERSEAS ARTISTS AS GUEST SPEAKERS AND FREE FILM SHOWS ARE ARRANGED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 278 315 PEOPLE VISITED THE MUSEUM WHICH PRESENTED 14 EXHIBITIONS.
+THE MUSEUM ALSO PUBLISHES BOOKS ON ART. USUALLY COVERING ITS EXHIBITIONS. THESE BOOKS WITH COLOUR ILLUSTRATIONS AND WRITINGS ON SELECTED ART TOPICS HAVE BECOME COLLECTORS'
ITEMS AND SERVE ALSO AS USEFUL REFERENCE MATERIALS IN THE STUDY OF ART, + MR TAM SAID.
+ THE MUSEUM HAS BEEN HOLDING THESE YEAR-ROUND ACTIVITIES DESPITE ITS VERY LIMITED SPACE ON THE TOP THREE FLOORS OF THE CITY HALL, + MR TAM COMMENTED.
NEVERTHELESS, THE MUSEUM WILL SOON HAVE A BRANCH AT FLAGSTAFF HOUSE WHEN CONVERSION WORK IS COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR. THIS BRANCH WILL BECOME A TEA WARE MUSEUM DISPLAYING OVER 400 ITEMS OF TEA WARE, DATING FROM THE 7TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY, DONATED BY MR K.S. LO, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE URBAN COUNCIL.
+THIS IS GOING TO BE A MUSEUM THAT WE SHALL BE PROUD OF BECAUSE IT WAS THE CHINESE WHO FIRST DEVELOPED THE REF INED HABIT OF DRINKING TEA AND HAVE A LONG HISTORY AND HERITAGE IN THIS ASPECT, ALTHOUGH THE JAPANESE ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR TEA CEREMONY TODAY, MR TAM SAID.
HOWEVER, MR TAM REMARKED THAT THE PRESSURE ON SPACE COULD NOT BE RELIEVED UNTIL THE PROPOSED PERMANENT MUSEUM OF ART IN THE TSIM SHA TSUI CULTURAL CENTRE IS COMPLETED.
THE PERMANENT MUSEUM WILL HAVE A FLOOR AREA OF 12 000 SQUARE METRES, ABOUT TEN TIMES BIGGER THAN ITS PRESENT PREMISES.
+BY THEN, WE SHALL BE ABLE TO DISPLAY OUR ART COLLECTIONS PERMANENTLY FOR PUBLIC ENJOYMENT, INSTEAD OF KEEPING THE MAJOR PART OF THE COLLECTION IN STORAGE AS WE ARE DOING NOW,+ MR TAP ADDED.
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