The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government was praised for its efforts to encourage artistic creation and provide artistic space to artists.

Opening the exhibition "Paintings Figures Paintings" at the "Cattle Depot" village Wednesday, Philippe Piguet, French art critic and visiting curator of the exhibition, said he is pleased to see that the Hong Kong government provides a breathing space for arts of different tastes and forms.

"Many of the big cities in the world are energetic, but their citizens have a stressful life," he said.

"I am glad that the government has set aside space for artistic creation by an independent art community here, who are encouraged to express their artistic tastes freely," he added.

He cited the holding of such an exhibition as an example of allowing free expression of alternative artistic ideas.

The exhibition takes care to reflect the state of diversity of current creation, he noted, adding, "So many original images arise out of individual experience, just as much with history as with culture."

Piguet further explained that in a world teeming with digital visual arts, an exhibition on traditional painting provides an opportunity to appreciate the art from a different viewpoint. "Edourd Manet's words 'Painting is nothing other than painting, it expresses nothing but itself' could easily serve as a manifesto," he suggested at the opening.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2002)