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The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Brussels (HKETO, Brussels), has once again worked with Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) and the Hong Kong Arts Centre (HKAC) to support the Hong Kong comics industry's participation in the Angoulême International Comics Festival in France. The 43rd edition of the festival is being held from January 28 to 31.
This year, for the very first time, a Hong Kong comics artist has been chosen for a solo exhibition at the festival, which is the biggest event of its kind in Europe. The exhibition will pay tribute to the career of Li Chi-tak, displaying more than 80 works dating from the 1980s to the present day. Li is also attending the festival.
Speaking at a reception hosted by HKETO, Brussels in the evening on January 29 (Angoulême time), the Deputy Representative of HKETO, Brussels, Miss Drew Lai, said that at a time when many comics artists and publishers are facing tough competition from the Internet, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government is keen to support and promote the development of comics and animation in Hong Kong and help introduce these works to new audiences.
"We are pleased and proud to see that Hong Kong comics artists are getting increasing recognition in France and in Europe," she said.
Noting that some of Li's work had been translated into French, she said more such translations of Hong Kong comics would be welcome.
"Thanks to, among others, the efforts of CreateHK, the HKSAR Government's dedicated agency spearheading development of creative industries, and the HKAC, there have been more and more contacts between the Hong Kong comics industry and overseas museums, organisations and festivals in recent years."
Speaking on the Comix Home Base, which had been introduced to festival participants earlier in the day by the Executive Director of the HKAC, Ms Connie Lam, Miss Lai said the opening of this platform for creativity and exchanges in 2013 has helped to promote the work of Hong Kong's comics artists both at home and abroad.
Remarking on the wonderful atmosphere in the streets of Angoulême, which have been decorated with comics characters, Miss Lai said that comics are also making their way into Hong Kong's public spaces. Walls and trams in Hong Kong have been decorated by comic artists, and the Avenue of Comic Stars features statues of famous local comic creations.
Founded in 1974, the Angoulême International Comics Festival is Europe's best-known comics festival. Hong Kong artists first made a major impact at the festival in 2011, when the "Kaleidoscope" exhibition on the history of Hong Kong comics since the 1960s and the participation of a group of comics artists and publishers put Hong Kong comics in the spotlight.
Last year the HKAC ran a booth at the festival under the name "Hong Kong Comix Boom!!", an arts and cultural exchange programme sponsored by CreateHK that sought to promote Hong Kong comics at home and abroad. An exhibition was held to showcase comics and illustration works created by 30 Hong Kong comics artists on the theme of "Comix & the City".
Ends/Saturday, January 30, 2016
Issued at HKT 22:45
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