Media

UMAG exhibitions
1. Bosshard in China: Documenting Social Change in the 1930s captures the tumult of the 1930s through historical photographs and films

Period: Now till August 5, 2018 (Sunday)

The exhibition is organised into thematic sections that give insight into the photographer’s mind as he traversed myriad landscapes and social conditions, from Beijing to Lake Qinghai in western China; from the bombing of Hankou to Mongolian shepherds on the steppe. Apart from filming daily life, Bosshard also photographed and interviewed key political figures, including Mao Zedong in Yan’an, Chiang Kai-shek and Soong Mei-ling, Madame Chiang Kai-shek.

Following earlier exhibitions at UMAG of Magnum photographers and their oeuvres in the West, Bosshard in China documents China’s landscape and its people during a time when China was undergoing significant sociopolitical upheaval. During this same era, photojournalism was developing into a serious mass medium of information, and Bosshard’s work in the 1930s was one of the primary means by which the Far East came to life across living rooms in Europe and America.

As Bosshard’s journeys through China are well documented, his imagery offers valuable contextual information. He provides views into a society—and now past—that benefits from the objective view of the camera lens. Bosshard’s work is of historical significance, as most Western photographers only went to China for individual assignments, but did not live there for extended periods. Many of the Chinese photographers were politically engaged or had been commissioned, which resulted in a more selective subject matter and consistent narrative.

Bosshard’s documentary photography and film are neither colonialist nor otherwise politically motivated. Though he lived alongside the Chinese people during the Japanese invasion, he did not take sides but rather let his images—both still and moving—capture the scenes unfolding around him. This phenomenon is remarkable, as traditional reports of political and military campaigns, and especially images of warfare, often aimed to communicate either nationalist or anti-nationalist sentiments. Bosshard documented urban centres and rural regions, peaceful everyday as well as wartime activities, and throughout all of these moments he strived to remain a neutral observer. His oeuvre presents a more holistic view of a country that was perceived internationally as highly important but altogether remained little known.

Venue: 1/F T.T. Tsui Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam

2. Bringing the Best of Italian Art to Hong Kong Shaping the Human Body: Florentine Sculpture of the Italian Renaissance A Remarkable Exhibition of Renaissance Sculptures from the Renowned Bellini Collection

Period: Now till August 12, 2018 (Sunday)

The 10 masterpieces featured in the exhibition exemplify stylistic developments from the 14th to the 16th century. The Exhibition includes works by remarkable Renaissance artists Donatello, Francesco di Valdambrini, Luca della Robbia, Giovanni della Robbia, Gregorio di Lorenzo and Giovanni Francesco Rustici. The sculptures beautifully represent how the artistic representation of the human body changed during this period, influenced by scientific study and a move towards life-like depiction.

The Exhibition represents Principal Sponsor Marco Polo Society’s commitment to providing meaningful Italian artistic and cultural exchanges in Hong Kong, China and Macau. In cooperation with the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macau, the Society is proud to support this memorable Exhibition and affiliated education programme in Hong Kong.

The Exhibition’s Major Sponsor is Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, a charitable organisation established in 2010 in memory of the late Mr Ng Teng Fong, founder of Sino Group. The Foundation is a steadfast advocate of education, youth development and community services. It has supported over 200 local non-government organisations and social enterprises. In addition to supporting good causes such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the National Gallery of Singapore and restoration of the Great Wall, the Foundation places great emphasis on education. It provides financial assistance for students from underprivileged families in Hong Kong and China through the Ng Teng Fong Scholarships. It also supports scholastic initiatives of Peking University, Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University in China as well as the National University of Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

The event’s Community Outreach Sponsor is the First Initiative Foundation (FIF) that is committed to supporting art, culture and educational outreach in the Hong Kong Community. FIF works to uplift Hong Kong by providing global cultural connections and opportunities for local cultural advancement.

The exhibition’s Supporting Sponsor is the Hong Kong University Museum Society, a charitable organisation that supports cultural and educational events and has been UMAG’s principal supporter for 30 years.

Venue: 1/F Fung Ping Shan Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam

3. Continuing the Iznik Tradition Contemporary Blue-and-White: Turkish Ceramics by Mehmet Gürsoy and Nida Olçar

Period: Now till August 19, 2018 (Sunday)

İznik pottery is named after the town of İznik, where these finely decorated ceramics have been manufactured since the last quarter of the 15th century. Local craftsmen developed simple earthenware pottery into a more sophisticated manufacture of high-quality ceramics painted with cobalt blue patterns and coated with a colourless glaze.

This modern form of production developed under the patronage of the Ottoman court in Istanbul, which traded with China and greatly valued Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Consequently, the iconography of İznik ceramics combined traditional Ottoman arabesque patterns with Chinese motifs. Today, contemporary artists remain true to traditional design sources by creating objects that relate to cultural exchanges from the time of the Ming dynasty.

Venue: 2/F Fung Ping Shan Building, UMAG, HKU, 90 Bonham Road, Pokfulam

Opening Hours:
09:30 – 18:00 (Monday to Saturday)
13:00 – 18:00 (Sunday)
Closed on University and Public Holidays

Tel/Email: (852) 2241 5500 (General Enquiry) / museum@hku.hk
Admission: Free
Website: www.umag.hku.hk/en/

Media enquiries:
UMAG Senior Communications Officer Ms Elena Cheung, Tel: (852) 2241 5512, Email: elenac@hku.hk
UMAG Programme Assistant Miss Chelsea Choi, Tel: (852) 2241 5509, Email: cchelsea@hku.hk

HKU Stephen Hui Geological Museum exhibition to launch on Endangered Species Day 2018 “Hong Kong’s Living Fossils” – the evolution of horseshoe crabs

Period: Now till November 4, 2018

This special exhibition will showcase horseshoe crab as old as 475 million years, together with other living fossils to understand their evolution and lifestyle, including their body plan, life cycle and habitats in the geological past and in Hong Kong today. Visitors will have the valuable opportunity to see up-close live juvenile horseshoe crabs and observe the body part functions and lifestyle in action which have helped them to successfully cope with environmental changes for hundreds of millions of years.

While horseshoe crabs were once common in Hong Kong and evenly distributed over all intertidal beaches and mudflats, their wild population has dropped significantly by 90% between 2000 and 2009, caused by human activities such as coastal development, clam digging and fishing. Horseshoe crabs will face the threat of extinction in Hong Kong and the legend of the “Living Fossil” will not be sustained if no urgent protection measures are implemented.

Apart from the horseshoe crab, fossils of two other living fossils living largely unnoticed in the coastal environments of Hong Kong, namely the primitive brachiopod Lingula and the small eel-like Amphioxus (also known as Lancelet), will also be shown in the exhibition.

Venue: G/F, Stephen Hui Geological Museum, James Hsioung Lee Science Building, Main Campus, the University of Hong Kong Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Saturdays and Sundays, University and Public Holidays
Free Admission
Special Weekend Openings from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on: July 7/8, August 11/12, September 8/9, October 6/7 and November 3/4, 2018.
Guided Tours: Venue: The Stephen Hui Geological Museum, Main Campus, HKU, Pokfulam, Hong Kong (Map) Free guided tours during the special weekend openings will be arranged at 2p.m. Free of charge. No registration required.

General Enquiries: Tel: (852) 22415472 / Email: shmuseum@hku.hk

Website: Stephen Hui Geological Museum website: http://www.earthsciences.hku.hk/shmuseum/

Media Enquiries: Ms Rashida Suffiad, Senior Manager (Media)
Tel: (852) 2857 8555 Fax: (852) 2858 4986 Email: rsuffiad@hku.hk
Communications and Public Affairs Office, The University of Hong Kong