Pioneering art show

The First Hong Kong and Macao Visual Arts Biennial is being held until Sept 21 at Beijing World Art Museum.

Some 70 works of art, ranging from sculptures to installations, ink art, oil paintings and graphic designs by some of the most active artists in Hong Kong and Macao will be on display.

Artists have created their works in response to the specific historical and cultural contexts of Hong Kong and Macao, breathing fresh air into the art scene in Beijing.

For example, young artist Kum Chi-keung has developed his own language, using an imagery that looks like a birdcage and an egg at the same time.

"Hectic urban life exerts a pressure on every individual. People may sometimes feel like their life is confined in a birdcage," Kum says.

"Hong Kong has been a melting pot of different cultures from around the globe. So, I use the imagery of an egg to symbolize a new, more diverse and dynamic culture that is still in the making," he adds.

"The biennial will give audiences a kaleidoscopic view about visual arts in the two special administrative regions," says the cultural ministry's liaison official Xie Jinming, a key organizer.

9 am-5 pm, until Sept 21. Beijing World Art Museum, China Millennium Monument, A9 Fuxinglu, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-5980-2222.