第五届亚洲美术馆馆长论坛各国馆长发言内容
邓海超TANG Hoi-chiu 香港艺术馆Chief Curator, Hong Kong Museum of Art
发言提纲：The Identity and Challenges of an Art Museum in the Contemporary Era——A Case Study of the Hong Kong Museum of Art
With the rapid pace of development of modern cities in the 21st century, the role and mode of management of Asian art museums also face new challenges. Hong Kong is an international metropolis and also an important showcase exposed to Chinese and Western cultures at the south gateway of China. As the flagship art museum of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Hong Kong Museum of Art shoulders the missions of inheritance and revitalization of the artistic tradition, enhancement of artistic appreciation, education, promotion of cultural exchanges between China and the West, and social inclusion in the contemporary era.
Entering the new Millennium, the major public museums in Hong Kong envisages unprecedented challenges and changes. Since 2000, the Hong Kong Government has appointed the Culture and Heritage Commission and the Museum Committee to conduct in-depth review on the cultural ecology of Hong Kong, mode of governance and management of museums, as well as their functions, strategies and services, such as the major issues of privatization of museums, future mode of governance and operation, and review of museums’ collection, exhibition and education policies and strategies. With ten years of intensive consultation and studies, these issues were discussed by the Legislature of the Hong Kong Government this year and finally a decision was reached that whereas public museums should remain under the governance of the Government, further enhancements and review of their future developments, collection and exhibition policies, the role of education and public engagement should be further assessed and enhanced.
On the other hand, with the rapid pace of developments of the society and new aspirations from community sectors, the positioning and policies of art museums also experience new changes, in particular in the aspects of their relationship to the development of modern cities, reforms in education, the role in fostering cultural exchanges, risk management and operational mechanism. Museums should always revisit these issues and make necessary adjustments to meet the progressions in the contemporary era.
My keynote speech would use the Hong Kong Museum of Art as a case study in respect with the issues mentioned above, an to explore the mode and identity as well as cultural responsibilities of museums in the Asian context. The talk will touch on the following four core issues:
The mode of governance and changes of the Hong Kong Museum of Art
To introduce the review and studies of public museum services (including art museum) conducted by the Hong Kong Government and the suggestions made, such as the viability or privatization, the new directives of management and programming in the future, the exploration of various resources, the tie with different community sectors, and the role in social inclusion and education.
Cultural Exchanges
To discuss on the cultural exchanges and partnership with major museums in the West, such as collaboration with the Orsay Museum, the Pompidou Centre in Paris during the annual French May Festivals, collaboration with the British Museum and the major museums in other countries as well as in the Mainland, and the cultural projects for international events such as the China -France Cultural Year, the Olympic Year in Beijing, the Chinese Culture Year for the Europalia Festival in Belgium, the Greater Pearl River Delta Cooperation Projects and the World Exposition in Shanghai.
Cases studies
To quote some blockbusters, such as the exhibitions “Chinese Painting and Calligraphy of the Jin, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties from the Palace Museum” and the “Luis Vuitton: A Passion for Creation” as examples for discussion on the role of an art museum in the contemporary era, handling of controversies and risk management.
Vision: What Type of Art Museum for the Future
The Hong Kong Government is on its way to develop a major cultural establishment known as the “West Kowloon Cultural District” with 40 hectares of land, which will also include a major museum known as “Museum +” (M+) with an area of 70,000 square meters. The “M+” will focus on visual culture with four core areas of contemporary art (including ink art), design, moving images and popular culture. The future identity and vision of this new establishment, its alignment with the Museum of Art in the future, and the role of contribution to a cultural hub will be discussed.
