ENG-1987 — Page 328

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

Hong Kong Space Museum

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During the year, the Hong Kong Space Museum continued to present educational and entertaining programmes to generate public interest in astronomy and space science.

At the Space Theatre, three Omnimax Shows ("Flyers', 'The Dream is Alive', and 'Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic'), two sky shows ('Wonders of the Heavens' and 'The Moon Enigma') and two school shows ('Introducing the Solar System' and 'The Magic Sky') were screened. The sky and school shows were produced by the museum. All the shows were well received attracting 502 777 persons.

Besides, the 1 529 252 visitors to the museum were able to view a wide range of exhibits and to roam through the Exhibition Hall, Hall of Solar Science and the temporary exhibition area. These exhibits were designed to broaden the visitors' knowledge of astronomy.

Other activities organised to promote interest in astronomy included 14 astronomy classes, 24 film shows and 14 lectures on astronomy. In addition, one publication was produced by the museum, while an Astronomical Observation Award Scheme was organised jointly with the Sky Observers' Association.

Hong Kong Museum of Science and Technology

Important steps were taken during the year for the planning of Phase I of the Hong Kong Museum of Science and Technology, which will have an area of 13 500 square metres. A build- ing plan prepared by a local architectural and engineering firm for the project was accepted by the Urban Council in September. Piling work was to start in early 1988. An exhibit master plan drawn up by a design firm based in San Francisco for the museum was also approved by the council in September. A team was selected to carry out detailed design of the exhibits.

To stimulate and sustain public interest in science, generate publicity and widen community support for the museum project, extension activities were organised in the form of lectures, talks by distinguished visiting scholars, filmshows, competitions, short classes and seminars. These programmes attracted more than 4 000 people.

An internal prototype exhibit development programme was being started with participa- tion by the Hong Kong Polytechnic, to build up in-house capabilities in exhibit design, fabrication and maintenance. More than 30 prototype exhibits were fabricated in-house and test-proved.

Hong Kong Museum of Art

The Hong Kong Museum of Art presented 13 exhibitions during the year on local and overseas contemporary art, historical pictures, Chinese antiques and Chinese fine art. They attracted 289 996 visitors and 83 school parties with 4 146 students.

Three of the exhibitions were made possible through the generosity of local collectors. The 'Modern Art from the Collection of Mary and George Bloch' exhibition featured 89 rare, modern sculptures, paintings, drawings and watercolours by 37 Western masters such as Picasso, Degas, Redin, Matisse, Chagall and Henry Moore. The 'Chinese Antiquities from the Brian McElney Collection' exhibition presented an assemblage of Chinese antiquities dating from Western Zhou to late Qing Dynasty, while the third, titled 'Chinese Porcelain from the Tianminlou Collection', displayed 163 items of Chinese procelain from the collection of Mr Ko Shih-chao.

Two local exhibitions, "The Art of Van Lau', featuring over 70 works of different media by the local sculptor, and 'The Contemporary Hong Kong Art Exhibition 1987', were aimed at encouraging local artists and presenting a comprehensive view of the development of contemporary local art.