The Parade -- a stage curtain by Pablo Picasso will be unveiled to mark the grand opening ceremony of Year of France on Oct. 12 in Hong Kong International Finance Center (IFC).

"We are glad to introduce this important and priceless artwork here", said Michel Guyot, Consul (culture and science) of French in Hong Kong Monday.

The artwork, on loan from the Center Pompidou in Paris will open to the public from Oct. 14 to 31, and this is the first time that the rarely exhibited staged curtain has been shown on the Asian Continent and outside of a museum environment.

Guyot added that this artwork has only been on public display 10 times in over 50 years, and after the IFC exhibition, Parade will return to the Center Prompidou where it will "rest" for at least 20 years before another public appearance.

According to David Dumigan, deputy project director of the IFC property management company, the staging of the Picasso at a cost of over 10 million HK dollars, excluding the insurance fee. The staging work at IFC will involve over 40 hours of installation by a team of over 30 theater professionals experienced in technical arts. Working alongside will be a 24 hours-a-day security team to protect and safeguard the painting from the moment it arrives in Hong Kong to the end of its safety at the IFC.

The IFC will also transform the showing hall into an environment that conforms to museum standards in terms of lighting, staging and security in order to showcase the masterpiece at its best.

Public viewing times will be limited to eight hours per day, 50visitors per hour to enable the painting to "rest" in-between viewing, Dumigan said.

With 10.52 meters high and 16.2 meters wide, the Parade curtain is Picasso's largest canvas work done in 1917.

Hong Kong will celebrate the "Year of France in China" simultaneously with several Chinese mainland cities.

More than 40 activities will be presented between October 2004 and July 2005, covering performing arts, films, literature, visual arts, spectacular shows, science and technology, as well as economy.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2004)