Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui reaffirmed her dedication to cultivating the next generation of artistic talent after traveling to Venice to support the Hong Kong Collateral Event at the 61st Venice Biennale.
The Hong Kong Exhibition, themed “Fermata: Hong Kong in Venice,” features artists Kingsley Ng and Angel Hui, with five installations that explore poetic rhythms in everyday life under the curatorship of the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA).
Law noted that the exhibition diverges from the stereotypical, fast-paced impression of Hong Kong. Instead, it invites the audience to "pause and reflect" by drawing on familiar yet fleeting moments in Hong Kong that subtly resemble those of Venice.
Witnessing the exhibition receive positive feedback from international audiences, Law said the achievement filled her with pride, and she hopes this success will pave the way for more young talent to step onto the global stage.
This sentiment also echoes the inspiration she drew from American artist Nick Cave’s Amalga (Plot), a piece from his Eternal Garden sculpture series, which she viewed during her tour of the Biennale's two main exhibition venues.
The artwork, which features vibrantly colored, ephemeral flowers planted upon a reclining bronze human figure, evokes a sense of life’s endless cycle within the dust.
Law shared that in her youth, she eagerly absorbed the wisdom of her predecessors, aspiring to become the most brilliant flower in the garden.
As the years have passed, she now desires to transform into the nurturing soil for the next generation, providing a foundation for young creators to take root, grow, and blossom into their own futures.
Concluding her itinerary, Law posted on social media that Hong Kong’s participation in the Venice Biennale via the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) has spanned a quarter of a century.
"The hard work and vision of our predecessors enabled us to secure a prime location for the Hong Kong Exhibition venue, situated directly opposite the main venue," she wrote.
Highlighting that art lovers and artists worldwide highly value the Hong Kong Exhibition, Law extended her gratitude to the HKMoA team and HKADC for their years of dedication.
In conjunction with the exhibition, HKMoA launched the Venice Biennale Internship Programme 2026, which takes six interns with arts backgrounds to Venice for a six-week residency during the exhibition period.
In addition to receiving a subsidy covering overseas living expenses, the interns will assist with daily exhibition operations, venue management, and guided tours.
Law described the initiative as "highly beneficial for their future development, allowing young people to understand and actively participate in international art exhibitions."
The artists who participated in the Hong Kong Exhibition at the Venice Biennale described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience, as the Collateral Event has garnered positive reviews among international art enthusiasts.
Through five installations, their works convey a poetic narrative that highlights overlooked details of daily life, offering a contrast to the noisy metropolitan imagery typically associated with Hong Kong.
Angel Hui, who specializes in transforming everyday materials into artistic language, showcased her work Drifting Sanctuary, which combines lightweight plastic bags with delicate Suzhou embroidery.
Lifelike goldfish were stitched onto plastic surfaces following the artist's persistent efforts to coordinate with Suzhou embroiderers, who had initially declined to collaborate due to the craft’s complexity.
Another of her pieces, I Would Like to Open a Window for You, features a wrought-iron frame incorporating window patterns characteristic of both Hong Kong and Venice.
She invited a local metalsmith to reinterpret the vase patterns found in vintage Hong Kong window frames and personally participated in the iron-bending process.
"Presenting work on an international stage is a rare opportunity," Hui said of the experience. "Even if the audience only stops for a moment, the fact that they can establish a connection with my work among the many exhibitions at the Biennale brings me great satisfaction."
For Kingsley Ng, the exhibition was a testament to the power of teamwork. They had to contend with Venice's unpredictable weather for the exhibition’s sole outdoor installation Sometimes, There Are Clouds in Puddles, as the city experienced several days of heavy rain just before the opening.
Ng emphasized that the entire team remained united and deeply enjoyed the process despite the obstacles, concluding that participating in the event was truly a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience.
