Miguel Falomir, director of Museo Nacional del Prado in Spain. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
A veteran international curator has extolled Hong Kong for its unique blend of cultures and strategic location, positioning it as a key player in the evolving global cultural landscape.
Miguel Falomir, director of Spain’s prestigious Museo Nacional del Prado, which is more widely known as the Prado Museum, shared his insights with China Daily on Monday on the sidelines of the inaugural Hong Kong International Cultural Summit.
It’s amazing to find out that we are in a space that barely 10 years ago was water. All these museums and all things have been achieved in just five or six years.
Miguel Falomir, director of Museo Nacional del Prado in Spain
The three-day event has drawn hundreds of cultural experts from around the world to the West Kowloon Cultural District under the theme of “Connecting Cultures, Bridging Times”.
Falomir, attending the summit as a guest speaker on his first visit to Hong Kong, expressed admiration for the city’s rapid cultural development, particularly the construction of the West Kowloon Cultural District.
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“It’s amazing to find out that we are in a space that barely 10 years ago was water. All these museums and all things have been achieved in just five or six years,” he said. “I can’t imagine this efficiency in old Europe or the ‘old world’.”
Falomir, a specialist in Spanish and Italian Renaissance painting, has been at the helm of the Prado Museum since 2017. The Madrid institution is renowned for its extensive collection of European art, including its unparalleled array of Spanish works.
Hong Kong’s cosmopolitan nature and strong ties with European countries, Falomir said, ensure it is an ideal conduit for cultural and art exchanges between China, Spain, and the rest of the European continent.
Reflecting on his 30-year tenure in the art world, Falomir observed a geographical shift of cultural dynamism eastwards.
“When I was in my early 20s, I would say that most of the cultural activities were (taking place) in the two shores of the Atlantic. … Right now, they have moved the Pacific,” he said, emphasizing the Pacific’s role as the cultural frontier of the future and the importance of major cultural institutions being part of this progress.
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Echoing Falomir’s sentiment, Kevin Westley, an independent nonexecutive director of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp, expressed strong confidence in Hong Kong’s potential as a world-class cultural exchange epicenter.
An art enthusiast who has lived in Hong Kong for over 20 years, Westley praised the diversity of cultural experiences available in the city, from international-level concerts and exhibitions to traditional Chinese opera.
He also highlighted the central government’s and local authorities’ joint commitment to developing Hong Kong as a cultural hub, while the city capitalizes on its immense potential and seizes the opportunity afforded by this period in history.
