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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:
Works of art displayed at public housing estates have become attractive features in public housing lately. The Housing Authority (HA) started the promotion of public art by painting wall murals as early as 1998. Public participation and community involvement keeps the ball rolling.
Besides wall murals, the Tung Chung Artwalk in Yat Tung Estate is another large-scale public art programme launched by the Housing Authority in collaboration with other arts institutes, giving a new platform for public art to flourish.
The Tung Chung Artwalk is the first of its kind with sculptures set in the midst of garden paths in a public housing estate and it is a joint effort of the Housing Authority and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
26 artworks created by local artists were selected in two phases from a total of 316 outstanding submissions to the competition "New Face of Heritage". The first 16 artworks on display since 2002 have been well received and another 10 pieces were added to the collection in the second phase last month.
Inspired by the history of Tung Chung, many of the artists' creations reflect the traditions of this former fishing village. The complete collection is displayed in the open space around Yat Tung Estate, forming a trail for art appreciation and open to the public all year round.
Other works of art worth visiting are the twelve wall murals displayed in eleven public housing estates. They showcased HA﷿s continuous endeavours to engage the public in community-building.
The latest wall mural project at Yau Tong was unveiled earlier this month. The 26 metres long by 4 metres high Yau Tong mural is an amalgam of the 25 winning entries in the mural design competition titled 䩕Let﷿s Give Yau Tong a New Look蒅. It captures the local heritage and culture in a creative composition and shows the local community﷿s determination in promoting sustainable development.
Community workshops and competition were jointly organized by the Housing Committee of the Kwun Tong District Council, Yau Tong Net, Yau Tong Churches Network, the Estate Management Advisory Committee of Yau Tong Estate and the Hong Kong Mural Society. The competition has attracted over 800 submissions and over 50 participants joined hands to paint the wall mural in this community building project.
So far the 128-metre long mural at Cheung Wang Estate, Tsing Yi, completed in 2004 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of public housing development in Hong Kong, is the largest one amongst the others. It is the joint effort of 600 public housing tenants, students and the neighbourhood community.
The other wall murals can be found in So Uk Estate, Tak Tin Estate, Tin Yiu Estate and Shan King Estate.
Ends/Sunday, December 24, 2006
Issued at HKT 11:00
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