"I really think the Hong Kong SAR government is willing to organize more and more cultural activities in Hong Kong.... It has created the Culture and Heritage Commission and is working very hard on the subject," said Jerome Pasquier, the consul-general of France in Hong Kong said a few days before.

Pasquier told Xinhua at the end of a news conference held recently to launch Le French May -- an annual French culture festival, which has been developed into intriguing cultural collaborations between French and Hong Kong artists.

The event, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary here, is a high-profile exchange between France and Hong Kong, commented Christina Chu, chief curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art.

From April 18 to June 2, the Hong Kong public is set to embrace a melange of French dances, visual arts, music theatre, cinema and art seminars.

Now recognized as one the Hong Kong's major festivals, Le French May is seeking to bring a significant contribution to the emergence of a vibrant, innovative and international artistic and cultural life reflecting Hong Kong's unique character as the place where "east meets west", Pasquier said.

"The (HKSAR) government said it wants to make Hong Kong a world-class city. I think to be a world-class city, culture is important. All the international cities in the world have a very active cultural scene," he remarked.

And for the first time, the French consulate said it is pleased to bring an exhibition of French paintings and visual arts titled "Painting, Figures, Paintings" into Hong Kong's first alternative artists' space -- Cattle Depot, which is provided by the Hong Kong SAR government

May Fung, a representative from Cattle Depot said the space now has a total of 19 artistic entities operating in the village, and she praised the French side for paying attention to alternative artists in Hong Kong.

"The Musee National d'Art Moderne in France has just been renovated and changed into an alternative artists' space similar to Cattle Depot, rather than a 'white cube', she said.

"I don't know if this is a coincidence. I think it is a really important thing for Le French May to be moving beyond the 'white cube' into an alternative space here," she stressed.

Pasquier responded: "We think that it is interesting to have more contact with the local art community. So we thought it would be more interesting to go into this new place."

"I think if we can help them, that's good. And if we can establish a rapport with them, it is good for us," he said, adding that France now has several such alternative artists' spaces as part of the contemporary French culture," he said.

To enable local art community, both connoisseurs and amateurs alike to keep abreast of the busy cultural event schedule in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government has made unremitting contributions to the successful presentation of events, particularly in the aspects of providing venues and a free ticketing service.

And for Le French May, it is no exception. Shirley Tsui, senior manager of dance and multi art programs of the Hong Kong SAR's Leisure and Cultural Services Department said the department is pleased to be involved in and lend support for the festival.

Commenting on the cultural significance of the festival, Christine Chu of the Hong Kong Museum of Art quipped, "I am happy to say that the French 'invasion' has turned out to be a very congenial visit every year."

Chu said this year's festival is the most artistically clear and historically significant one ever with the French consul general in Hong Kong.

"I'd love to see more of this kind of 'invasion' from other countries, and Switzerland has just decided that they will join in. So I hope that this will soon be the beginning of more collaboration and participation of more countries in Hong Kong," Chu remarked.

Graeme Collins, head of Ballet of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts told Xinhua after the news conference that five years after Hong Kong's July 1 handover in 1997, Hong Kong's cultural scene has remained as vibrant and diversified as before.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2002)