a£á?Bon voyagea£á? of old French cruise lines showcased at exhibition

05/27/2014

Romantics wishing to experience the splendour of French ocean liners in the late 19th and early 20th centuries should head to the Maritime Museum, where an exhibition opens 28 May featuring the art of living aboard these luxurious means of travel. It is one of the exciting Le French May programmes funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust’s HK$7.34 million donation this year.

Today (27 May), Club Chairman T. Brian Stevenson joined Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Arnaud Barthélémy, Hong Kong Maritime Museum Trust Chairman Tung Chee-chen, Association Culturelle France-Hong Kong Board Chairman Dr Andrew Yuen and Hong Kong Maritime Museum Director Richard Wesley to officiate at the opening cocktail party for the Palaces on the Seas: The Golden Age of French Ocean Liners exhibition.

This is the third year that the Trust has been the major partner of this all-encompassing French festival. Mr Stevenson said the Club was very keen on the educational side and appreciated the partnership with Le French May in bringing the programmes to young people.

More than 200 exhibits, including posters, drawings, silverware, ship models, costumes, illustrated books and photographs, of French cruise lines Compagnie Générale Transatlantique and Les Messageries Maritimes are on display in the exhibition, which runs until 26 August. Most of the pieces are being shown here for the first time. Families can also explore their creativity with a local artist to design a miniature cruise cabin, among various activities.

Also sponsored by the Trust, the Fabienne Verdier – Crossing Signs exhibition opened in mid-May to showcase 40 large-scale paintings of French artist Fabienne Verdier, who has adapted the Chinese calligraphy she learnt in China in the 1980s to Western art in her artistic practice over the past decades. The Club’s Head of Charities Projects Rhoda Chan congratulated the painter’s first retrospective exhibition, which runs at the City Hall until 8 June.

Other Trust-sponsored programmes being staged between May and August are Philippe Jaroussky & Venice Baroque Orchestra, The Mirror by Théâtre des Asphodèles; French Shadows: All Eyes on China and L’Immédiat by Camille Boitel. All these events are expected to reach an audience of around 55,000.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is not only one of the world’s leading horse racing organisations, but also Hong Kong’s largest community contributor, donating HK$1.95 billion in 2012/13. In addition, the Club is a major taxpayer, Hong Kong’s single largest by far, generating over HK$17.64 billion in 2012/13 for public funds. The Club pioneers technology applications for sporting and betting entertainment, striving for the highest levels of customer service. As a membership club, it is recognised as one of Asia’s most prestigious. These multifaceted roles make it a well-respected and remarkable organisation, dedicated to its mission of enhancing the quality of life for all Hong Kong people.