The New Era: Reinforce Quality Programs & Lead Integrational Reforms

Mr. Peter Lau has assumed the role of Chairman of the Board of Board of Governors at the Hong Kong Arts Centre. In this edition, we invite him to share his vision for the Centre's future and how he plans to lead it to new heights as Chairman.

Question - Hong Kong Arts Centre

Answer - Peter Lau

Question: Peter, how did you first get to know Hong Kong Arts Centre?

Answer: How did I get to know Hong Kong Arts Centre? Actually, I heard about it when I was a child. During my school years, I remember enrolling in a short-term course here; it was an oil painting class. I had always wanted to learn oil painting, and even now, in retirement, I still have a keen interest in it. So, back then, I joined the oil painting class.

However, I was someone who lacked perseverance, so after attending one or two classes, I stopped going. Nevertheless, I frequently visited the Arts Centre to see various art exhibitions, including painting and photography exhibitions. Later, I learned a lot more about the Arts Centre and often came to see exhibitions, attend events, enjoy music and theater, and watch performances in the cinema here.

About six years ago, I became a member of your Board of Directors, and since then, I have been a regular visitor. When I became the Chairman of your Programme Committee three years ago, I have been here even more frequently.

Question: As the new Chairman of the Hong Kong Arts Centre, what goals will you set for the Centre?

Answer: In my view, the Hong Kong Arts Centre has been somewhat dormant for a while. I hope to restore its former glory. In the past, the Arts Centre was a highly esteemed and avant-garde platform for artistic development in the hearts of Hong Kong people. Many artists felt that holding an exhibition at the Arts Centre was a crowning achievement.

Of course, we still hold a leading position now, but I feel that our recognition among the general public has declined. Therefore, during my tenure as Chairman, I hope to enhance our image and regain our high level of recognition.

We are a statutory body, we do not have unlimited government financial support. We are a self-financing arts organization, and we also bear the important mission of artistic development. Therefore, we need to live within our means, plan meticulously, and provide high-quality artistic experiences for the public.

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Question: The Hong Kong Arts Centre has entered its 47th year and has always been an important institution for the development of local art. What strategies will you adopt to lead the Hong Kong Arts Centre forward, integrating art into the local community and beyond?

Answer: Our programs at the Hong Kong Arts Centre are incredibly diverse, covering a broad and varied range of areas. Over the past forty-plus years, we have consistently kept up with contemporary trends, introducing new emerging artists and art forms to the people of Hong Kong. Today, our program offerings are exceptionally rich, perhaps even to an overwhelming extent.

Currently, we can categorize our programs into several major areas, with visual arts being our flagship. In the realm of public art, we have also reached a mature stage, establishing it as a highly influential art form. Additionally, ifva is well-known in the film industry and has been running for 29 years. In terms of Moving Image, our cinema hosts numerous film festival premieres, attracting many people to watch films here, and our venues are well-utilized.

In the future, I will continue to promote the development of these core areas while exploring more opportunities for collaboration with the community and other regions, integrating art more deeply into local life.

We are now beginning to prioritize and develop the children's market, as it has been a neglected area for several years. We believe that many of the art programs we plan to hold in the future are already very well-executed and have received significant recognition within the industry. However, the challenge we face is that our program portfolio has become quite large, and refining these programs is a challenge.

I think we should focus on the programs that we truly excel at and bring them to their fullest potential. For example, in recent years, we have done exceptionally well in public art, and many major institutions recognize our achievements in this area, so we should continue to build on this. Visual arts, of course, remain one of our key core programs.

Additionally, the children's market is a focal point we hope to develop. As a child, I also enrolled in painting classes here. In fact, many people, myself included, have been exposed to the Hong Kong Arts Centre during their upbringing. However, as we grow older, we tend to forget about this important institution to some extent. Therefore, we hope to introduce more programs aimed at children, nurturing the next generation and passing on our mission of artistic development.

Overall, I hope that through these art programs, we can fully realize the influence of the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

In recent years, the Hong Kong government has aimed to industrialize the local arts sector and enhance its functionality. Hong Kong hosts several major international art fairs such as Art Basel and Art Central. Last year, the Hong Kong Arts Centre successfully held its first Collectible Art Fair. I hope to organize the second edition next year and further expand its scale, making it an important platform for showcasing local artists.

Therefore, we will focus on public art, visual arts, children's art, and our art academy. Additionally, we have made significant achievements in the fields of comic art and ifva. The question is, how should we continue to develop these areas? We actually have an Art Programme Committee that continuously researches and considers how to evolve these projects.

Additionally, the government has recently introduced a new arts and culture policy. The nation hopes for Hong Kong to become a bridge for cultural exchange between East and West and to integrate into the Greater Bay Area, telling the stories of Hong Kong and China effectively. In this context, what role should the Hong Kong Arts Centre play?

I believe that in the past, our connections with the mainland have been relatively limited. In the future, we must strengthen our cooperation in this area. We don't necessarily need to completely change our artistic direction, but we at least need to establish close ties. There are an increasing number of significant art centers, art fairs, and exhibition venues in the mainland. Many of our teachers, artists, and renowned Hong Kong artists have already started showcasing their works on these important platforms. For example, a new art museum recently opened in Guangzhou, and our academic director and the chairman of our art committee, both top-tier artists, were invited to exhibit their works there as individuals.

As an arts center, we cannot lag behind the pace set by individual artists. We need to strengthen our connections with mainland art institutions. There are organizations in Hong Kong, such as the Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre. These organizations can help us build collaborative bridges, facilitating cooperation with institutions like the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

Therefore, one of my tasks is to build these bridges effectively. I hope that by establishing these connections, we can engage in practical cooperation, such as joint exhibitions and collaborations and exchanges between educational institutions. These are specific goals that we can gradually work towards achieving.

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Question: One last question, do you have any words for your colleagues at the Arts Centre?

Answer: Currently, Hong Kong's economy is gradually recovering from the pandemic. Although this process is very slow and full of challenges, we are inevitably affected by the economic environment. If we all consider the bright future of the Arts Centre, we should work together to achieve our mission and promote the development of the arts in Hong Kong.

I hope to share this motto with my colleagues at the Arts Centre: "Rebuild together, Rebuild Hong Kong Art Centre as the Centre of Art in Hong Kong." I hope everyone will unite and work together to achieve our goals and give the Arts Centre a fresh start.