The Prado Museum will host Nobel laureate JM Coetzee as the first author of the “Writing the Prado” program
This initiative is sponsored by the Loewe Foundation and in collaboration with Granta Magazine
WEBWIRE – Thursday, May 25, 2023
John Maxwell Coetzee, Nobel Prize for Literature (2003), has been selected as the first author to participate in the Writing the Prado program, a joint initiative with the Loewe Foundation that invites internationally renowned writers to engage literarily with the Museums collections.
As inaugural Fellow, the South African writer John Maxwell Coetzee will spend three weeks residing in Madrid (from late June to mid-July), making the Museum his center of activity and also of contemplation. He will write a story related to his time at the Prado, the first of a story collection that the Museum will dedicate to exploring the potential for creative expression at the crossroads of fiction and the visual arts. During his stay, the Nobel Laureate will hold a public conversation at the Prado with his Spanish translator, the philosopher and writer Mariana Dimpulos.
JM Coetzee, born in South Africa in 1940, has published nineteen works of fiction, as well as literary criticism and translations. In addition to the Nobel Prize for Literature (2003), he was twice awarded the Booker Prize. He lives in Adelaide, South Australia, where he is a Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Hes also had visiting appointments over a long academic career, at universities such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford.
Hong Kong Heritage Museum launches exhibition on Hong Kong film arts and costumes (with photos)
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Hong Kong Space Museum screens new 3D dome show “Voyager: the Never-Ending Journey 3D” (with photos)
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WEBWIRE – Saturday, December 31, 2022
On 5 January 2023, the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, one of the State Hermitages display facilities, will be temporarily closed due to technical work at the Imperial Porcelain Factory joint-stock company. If you already hold tickets for 5 January 2023, then you can visit the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory using the same tickets on any other working day or return them for a refund. The display that the State Hermitage opened in 2003 on the premises of the functioning industrial enterprise was created on the basis of the stocks of the former Lomonosov Porcelain Factorys museum. It presents the stages in the development of the oldest Russian porcelain factory, founded in 1744, from the 18th century through to today. Visitors also have the opportunity to view the collection of porcelain and glass from Oriental and European countries that was formed in the factorys museum during the imperial period to provide examples for copying or for the creative development of its own craftspeople. The Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory is located at 151 Prospekt Obukhovskoi Oborony (Metro station: Lomonosovskaya). Tickets can be obtainedthrough the website. Free-of-charge visits are possible for children under the age of 18, Russian invalids of the 1st and 2nd groups, Russian pensioners, undergraduate and postgraduate students studying in the RF, those doing compulsory military service, veterans of military operations, staff of museums in the RF and many others. A full list of concessionary categories as well as a timetable of the museums working hours can be foundon the relevant page of the website.
WEBWIRE – Thursday, December 29, 2022
The Smithsonians National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is recognizing the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. In honor of this important moment, the museum encourages visitors to reflect on the words featured in early copies of a handheld pamphlet of the Emancipation Proclamation, an original signed copy of President Abraham Lincolns Executive Order and an original handwritten signed copy of the 13th Amendment, all on display in the museums Slavery and Freedom exhibition. The Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment are two of the most important documents in the nations history. They helped the country fulfill the highest ideal of liberty by ensuring a more inclusive manifestation of freedom. For more details and to learn more, visit nmaahc.si.edu/emancipation. It is important that we remember the hard-fought battle for freedom and what it took to ensure freedom for all, said Mary Elliott, curator of American slavery at the museum. The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all enslaved people. Yet, it was foundational in the march toward freedom, and it struck a mighty blow to the system of slavery. The 13th Amendment finally knocked out slavery in the nation. On Sept. 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. In local churches, enslaved and free people awaited the midnight hour for the Emancipation Proclamation to go into effect. The occasion became known as Watch Night. Under his wartime authority as commander in chief, Lincoln ordered that, as of Jan. 1, 1863, all enslaved individuals in all areas still in rebellion against the United States henceforward shall be free. Pastor John C. Gibbs of Philadelphias First African Presbyterian Church declared, The Proclamation has gone forth, and God is saying to this nation by its legitimate constitute head, Man must be free. The Emancipation Proclamation also enabled African American men to enlist in the armed forces. The war to preserve the Union became a war to end slavery. The proclamation was limited in scope but revolutionary in its impact. The 13th Amendment completed what free and enslaved African Americans, abolitionists and the Emancipation Proclamation set in motion. On Dec. 6, 1865, the U.S. government abolished slavery by amending the Constitution to state: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. To honor the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the museum is hosting a screening of the new Netflix film Descendant Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m., presented by the museums public programs department and the Robert F. Smith Explore Your Family History Center. The film documents the search and recovery of the Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States illegally carrying enslaved Africans, in Mobile, Alabama. After the film, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Elliott and featuring Margaret Brown, director of the film; Kern Jackson, co-writer and co-producer of the film; Veda Tunstall and Joycelyn Davis, descendants of passengers of the Clotilda; and executive producer Ahmir Questlove Thompson. Admission is free; however, registration is required. About the National Museum of African American History and Culture Since opening Sept. 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture has welcomed more than 8.5 million in-person visitors and millions more through its digital presence. Occupying a prominent location next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nations largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history. For more information about the museum, visit nmaahc.si.edu, follow @NMAAHC on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, or call Smithsonian information at (202) 633-1000.
Hong Kong – Hong Kong Heritage Museum launches exhibition on Hong Kong film arts and costumes (with photos)
Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Hong Kong Film Arts Association, the “Out of Thin Air: Hong Kong Film Arts & Costumes Exhibition” will be staged from tomorrow (May 3) at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM). The exhibition, one of the programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival 2023, is the first comprehensive presentation of Hong Kong film arts and costume designs which aims to document the development of film arts in Hong Kong. Through the display of iconic costumes, props, set designs, drawing manuscripts, paraphernalia, videos and reconstructed scenes of workshops, the exhibition takes visitors into the world behind the scenes for delving into the establishment of the Hong Kong film arts profession, and learning about the nature of the Hong Kong film culture, and the highly adaptable professionalism and creative inclusiveness of film industry practitioners.
Addressing at the opening ceremony today (May 2), the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu, said that this is the first comprehensive exhibition introducing Hong Kong film arts and costume designs where visitors can understand the achievements made by Hong Kong films. With the support of elite teams from various units of art directors, costumes, props and set production, the film industry can flourish.
Other officiating guests today included the Chairperson of the History Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Joshua Mok; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Film Arts Association (HKFAA), Mr Man Lim-chung; the Vice Chairlady of the HKFAA, Ms Tina Liu; and the Museum Director of the HKHM, Mr Brian Lam. The four curators of the exhibition, Mr Man, Ms Liu, HKFAA committee member Ms Jean Tsoi and renowned costume director Ms Edith Cheung, also shared stories during the preparation of the exhibition at the event.
Films are a major part of Hong Kong’s popular culture. Hong Kong films owe their success to the entire cast and crews’ contributions, in which art and costume directors play an indispensable role. They transform written texts into exquisite and lifelike physical sets, props and costumes that match the plot and characters in the screenplay, shaping the worldview of films. The exhibition, involving more than three years of research and contributions from over 200 film companies and practitioners, is the first of its kind in Hong Kong to comprehensively showcase film arts and costumes of the movie industry.
Highlight exhibits including the valuable collection of costumes and props, which are on display in this exhibition for the very first time, are Chow Yun Fat and Gong Li’s emperor and empress court robes in “Curse of the Golden Flower” (2006); Linda Lin’s qipao in “Love Without End” (1961); Maggie Cheung’s red period costume in “Hero” (2002); Cora Miao’s green plastic raincoat in “Love in a Fallen City” (1984); Brigitte Lin’s smuggler lady costume in “Chungking Express” (1994); Karen Mok’s Goddess Asura costume in “East Meets West” (2011); and Richard Ng’s Chinese vampire costume in “Rigor Mortis” (2013). Exhibits related to props include a design drawing album of the Shaw Brothers Studio; a vampire hunter sword in “The Twins Effect” (2003); a special prop underwater horse in “Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon” (2013); 300 nursery rhymes in “Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons” (2013); and a Chinese luopan in “Rigor Mortis”. The organiser has selected clips in over 100 Hong Kong films and produced a video, “Highlights of Hong Kong Film and Costume Design”, which will be shown in the gallery to showcase the outstanding works of film art and costumes in Hong Kong over the years.
To tie in with the exhibition, a series of talks and workshops will be organised by the HKHM and the HKFAA. In addition, an oral history project, “The Architects of Dreams”, which is a written documentation of 60 interviews of Hong Kong film arts and costume practitioners, will be progressively uploaded to the museum website for browsing.
The exhibition, which will run from May 3 to September 4 at the HKHM (1 Man Lam Road, Sha Tin), is jointly presented by the LCSD and the HKFAA, and jointly organised by the HKHM and the HKFAA. For details of the exhibition, please visit hk.heritage.museum/en_US/web/hm/exhibitions/data/exid275.html, or call 2180 8188 for enquiries.
The first Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival organised by the LCSD aims to offer an array of programmes, from pop concerts and performances to thematic exhibitions, film screenings, outdoor and outreach activities showcasing Hong Kong’s unique cultural creativity and vibrancy. For more information on other fascinating programmes of the Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival, please visit www.pcf.gov.hk/en.Hong Kong – Hong Kong Space Museum screens new 3D dome show “Voyager: the Never-Ending Journey 3D” (with photos)
The Hong Kong Space Museum is screening a new 3D dome show, “Voyager: the Never-Ending Journey 3D” at its Space Theatre starting from April 1. Audiences will be able to follow space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1977 to start an interstellar journey and find out the secrets of the farthest planets in the Solar System.
The twin space probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are still navigating in the vast interstellar space. They send back data obtained during their journey to Earth from time to time, enriching human’s understanding of the Universe. Like two bottles thrown into the cosmic ocean, each probe carries a gold-plated record containing images, sounds, greetings and music to manifest the life and culture on Earth. It is hoped that alien civilisation may receive and decode the information therein someday.
The 27-minute show will be screened until September 30. Screening times are 2pm and 6.30pm on weekdays and 12.30pm and 5pm on weekends and public holidays respectively. The Hong Kong Space Museum, located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays).
Tickets priced at $24 (front stalls) and $32 (stalls) are now available at the Hong Kong Space Museum Box Office and URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For details of the show, please visit hk.space.museum/en_US/web/spm/shows/3d-show/voyager-the-never-ending-journey-3d.html, or call 2721 0226 for enquiries.On 5 January 2023 the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory will be closed
National Museum of African American History and Culture To Observe 160th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation Issued by President Lincoln
Museum To Host a Special Screening and Panel Discussion of the New Documentary Descendant Jan. 7, 2023
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