HongKongEcho 92 - Culture: Sketching the scene

CULTURE

SKETCHING THE SCENE HongKongEcho | 3

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The French Chamber of Commerce wishes to thank its Patron Members

THE FRENCH CHAMBER 21/F, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2523 6818

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - C HIEF EDITOR Sophie LECONTE

communications@fccihk.com www.fccihk.com

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER - EDITOR Kieran CASH

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HEAD OF COMMUNICATION & EVENTS Chantal ITURRIA

DESIGN MANAGER Kiki LAU

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EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Philippe MASSONNET

The views expressed in the publication are not necessarily those of The French Chamber. The editor accepts no responsibility for unsolicited material submitted.

Editor'sLetter

W

hat better time of the year than now to speak about culture?

EDITOR’S LETTER

Those were our thoughts exactly when we set out to tackle this timely topic. Indeed, the city very much comes alive in this period – and the same is true for us here at the Chamber.

March has become a particularly significant month for us; International Women’s Day is a major highlight in our annual calendar and this year was no different. We celebrated this important occasion with the 3rd edition of our conference in support of HeForShe, a global United Nations initiative. Some 500 business executives packed the halls of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited to join forces for gender equality and I invite you to read all about it on page 46.

What stands out to me most in events like this is the impact we’re able to have on a local level, and a big part of that is our role in providing a platform for connection.

Our latest Bonjour Talents career fair, which was held at the HKUST Business School in Central, was another example of this. On the day, 13 leading international French companies met with 400 local students from six different universities as we provided a unique opportunity for both parties to meet face-to-face and connect.

Likewise, one of our very first events of 2019 saw a packed house of MNCs and startups alike transform their lunchtime into a speedy match-making session as part of our CFO Club. Following up on our inaugural Open Innovation Forum last year, we’ll continue to create opportunities like this for connection and collaboration between large corporates and startups.

But for now I hope you’ll take a moment to flick through this packed culture-themed edition. From the HKSAR Government’s mega West Kowloon Cultural District project to the grass roots of local galleries, we’ve taken a deep dive into the role culture is expected to play in the city’s continued transformation.

Why is culture taking such a prominent role all of a sudden, and for what purpose?

Well, let us paint you the picture.

Sophie Leconte Executive Director French Chamber

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Editor’s letter Contents What we're watching La Chronique

Cover Story: Culture

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Days of being wild The culture conversation Five reflections Plus-size Meet the makers Heritage hopes Soft power, hard sell Mall talk The reel deal

French Chamber Highlights

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Looking back Members' highlights New faces French Chamber Foundation

P.46 Published by

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@French Chamber in Hong Kong

facebook.com/fccihk

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What we're watching

“We are geared up to make sure the economy will continue to grow despite uncertainties.”

Carrie Lam at Davos 2019

Watch the Bloomberg interview

Shipping slipping Hong Kong’s port has slipped out of the global top five busiest port rankings.

The latest data acquired by Bloomberg indicates that the city finished 2018 in seventh place globally, losing ground to Guangzhou and South Korea’s Busan.

Hong Kong previously ranked 1st through the decade of 1994-2004. The city’s decline is largely attributed to the accelerated

HK$44 BILLION

#budget

Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government Paul Chan announced a HK$44 billion injection for Innovation & Technology initiatives in his 2019 Budget on 27 February, predicting the sector will “bring huge economic benefits to Hong Kong” as part of the government’s efforts to diversify the economy.

See our full highlights from the Budget

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East meets West

#infrastructure development of mainland ports – Shanghai currently ranks number one – which have impacted its traditional role as the entrepôt for mainland China.

Shenzhen and Guangzhou’s (ranked 4th and 5th respectively) increased prominence will only raise more tough questions regarding economic rivalry between Greater Bay Area cities.

#infrastructure

HK$36 billion, 4.5km of highway, nine years. The much-awaited Central-Wan Chai bypass officially opened to the public in full on 24 February 2019.

The project aims to ease the notoriously congested traffic corridors between Central and North Point, promising to cut

More the merrier The latest report by Invest Hong Kong shows an 18% increase in the number of startups operating in Hong Kong in 2018 compared to the previous year. A total of

commute times between the locations to five minutes according its official website.

In a first for Hong Kong, the 3.7km tunnel section includes what the government has labelled the world’s largest air purification system.

#startups 2,625 startups were recorded in the survey with FinTech leading the way for sector of activity.

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LaChronique

'YOU DON’T INHERIT CULTURE, YOU CONQUER IT!' Cultural void? Not anymore, says David Baverez, author of Paris-Pékin Express. But with regional rivals impressing, Hong Kong will need more than new museums to keep up.

A

s hinted to in the title to this piece, no place better illustrates the great words of André Malraux – the most influential Minister of Cultural Affairs France has ever had – than Hong Kong.

While Hong Kong has always had the reputation of being left behind versus peers like London or New York when it comes to the art world, the last decade has actually seen an impressive catch-up effort driven by the city’s unique entrepreneurial spirit.

This first phase of this recent cultural renaissance has naturally concentrated on the multibillion dollar world of the art marketplace, as exemplified by the success of Art Basel Hong Kong. Within the space of just a few years, Hong Kong’s elite has discovered a new asset class offering returns potentially as attractive and speculative as their traditional gambles in the real estate market. Almost overnight, Art Basel Hong Kong became so popular

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that its Swiss owners had no choice but to move the date of the exhibition from May to March to prevent it cannibalising the original edition in Switzerland!

This rapid integration has invited the world’s major art galleries to open their offshoots in Hong Kong, and in turn allowed collectors based in the city to access the very best in modern and contemporary art from around the globe.

Musings on museums The second phase of Hong Kong’s cultural

nearly one museum per day on average, without proper planning of the right content to be exhibited beforehand, is clearly not the way forward.

On the contrary, to echo the new onlineto-offline (O2O) model of the retail industry, Hong Kong should position itself at the forefront of reinventing the museum experience.

One way this could be done is digitalisation.

cultural offering that they rightly deserve.

The DSL Collection, one of the most impressive gatherings of Chinese contemporary art by Dominique and Sylvain Lévy, should be of great inspiration for imagining the museum of the future by allowing virtual experiences to go beyond those of the traditional ‘bricks and mortar’.

But here the city must be careful to not repeat the mainland’s mistakes. Opening

With an extensive use of Augmented

emergence will have to rely on the opening of the new museums that the city has been in need of for so long. Already, the Central Police Station’s (Tai Kwun) redevelopment offers a glimpse of the local population’s pent-up desire to access this kind of rich

Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), Hong Kong should aim to reinvent interactions between culture and people and this should not be limited to museums but should also extend to our daily lives, as is already the case in shopping malls like K11. In this way Hong Kong will be best able to compete against future neighbouring cultural hubs – one of these, potentially, being Shenzhen which has already succeeded in attracting the Victoria & Albert Museum of London to the Design Society in Shekou to operate its own gallery.

Bigger than Bruce Lee Finally, a city cannot claim to have conquered culture if it does not manage to attract and retain the best living artists in the world. Historically, economic and financial successes have always been precursors to the world’s greatest cultural creations, whether in Venice during the Quattrocento or New York in the 20th century.

“Hong Kong should position itself at the forefront of the museum experience.”

That Hong Kong’s cultural scene remains, still today, largely associated with the name of Bruce Lee should act as a wakeup call for Hong Kong’s elite. On this front, the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai has already led the way. As a unique type of artist residency designed to bring artists from all over the world to the iconic banks of the Bund, we’re offered a glimpse of how these cultural icons see the new world of the 21st century.

Similar initiatives should be encouraged in Hong Kong by the way of private entrepreneurship. Such efforts will ultimately prove that, in the 21st century

more than ever, only a greater focus on culture will allow Hong Kong to remain the place where ‘East meets West’.

David Baverez is the author of Paris-Pékin Express (Editions Francois Bourin 2017).

The views expressed are purely personal.

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CULTURE

SKETCHING THE SCENE

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DAYS OF BEING WILD (P. 12) THE CULTURE CONVERSATION (P. 14) FIVE REFLECTIONS (P. 17) PLUS-SIZE (P. 18) MEET THE MAKERS (P. 23) HERITAGE HOPES (P. 30) SOFT POWER, HARD SELL (P. 32) MALL TALK (P. 34) THE REEL DEAL (P. 38)

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CULTURE | Days of being wild

DAYS OF BEING WILD From grass roots to giant infrastructure.

Expectations are high for Hong Kong’s supposed cultural transformation. We start to fill in the blanks of a sketch taking shape on a greater scale than ever before.

C

ultural wasteland. Rightly or wrongly, Hong Kong has suffered this label over the years.

You’d be hard pressed to pin that on the city today. The arrival of Art Basel Hong Kong in 2013 was a watershed moment for a city in dire need of a globallyrecognised cultural happening.

But before the high-brow art crowd wandered the enormous halls of the Convention Centre, Hong Kong was – and still is – a hub for the trade of mainland Chinese art. What it’s never had, however, is a world-class museum to make culture accessible (and affordable) to the wider public.

That’s changing. M+ (set to open in 2020) will be the globally relevant museum Hong Kong has been waiting for according to Suhanya Raffel, its Executive Director (page 18). It’s the centrepiece of the government’s West Kowloon Cultural District, a 40-hectare home to six major cultural structures and the sign of a concrete vision for culture.

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While shiny new museums are welcome, the Hong Kong Tourism Board would like visitors to also see another side of the city (page 30). Heritage, it says, will be key to meeting the demands of the territory’s 65 million visitors.

That doesn’t mean retail should be forgotten. “The brands I admire are always proud of their heritage,” says Douglas Young, Founder of Goods of Desire (page 14). His iconic designs have stood out from the crowd by virtue of a bold decision to celebrate Hong Kong’s visual identity.

For boldness, look no further than K11 (page 34). Its art mall concept which launched in 2009, blending “art for the masses” and rampant retail, offers a new take on cultural consumption.

You might be catching on that money has a role to play. We shouldn’t be afraid of talking about that, according to Benoît Etienne, Consul for Culture, Education and Science at the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau (page 32). He explains their

new strategy to position culture as an economic driver abroad.

But it’s not just a question of making millions. The Hong Kong International Film Festival – now in its 43rd year – is all about the culture of film (page 38).

Despite its longevity, many may be unaware of its existence, admits Albert Lee, the Executive Director of the NGO behind its operation.

That’s all part of the many layers to Hong Kong. Caroline Chiu, art critic, collector and curator, says you just need to scratch beneath the surface a little to discover the city’s vibrant art scene (page 17).

In the process you might just come across the likes of Chris Huen’s paintings of a quieter Hong Kong, Bao Ho’s playful street art murals or Anat Givon’s mindbending photography (page 23).

All of this is a sign that Hong Kong is framing culture in a new light – and with remarkable speed. Curate it right and the city will surely impose itself as ‘Asia’s World City’.

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

HK$4.8 billion allocated to culture and the arts by the HKSAR Government for 2018-19

HOLDING ON TO HERITAGE

1,444

historic buildings allocated varying degrees of heritage value by the Antiquities Advisory Board

120

declared monuments which enjoy the highest level of statutory protection

80%

of the 1,444 heritage buildings are privately owned with no statutory protection

FESTIVALS AND FAIRS CULTURE COST

HK$75

Average cinema ticket price in 2017

HK$150

Starting price for one ticket to see ‘Lady Spring Fragrance’ at the new Xiqu Centre for Chinese Opera

HK$880

Full day ticket for Sónar Hong Kong electronic music festival Sources: Antiquities and Monuments Office, Artsy, Home Affairs Bureau, Legislative Council, Le French May, Sónar Hong Kong, South China Morning Post, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

100

performances across five weeks as part of the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival

US$35 million

Selling price of Untitled XII (1975)

by Willem de Kooning by private sale at Art Basel Hong Kong 2018

1 million

people in Hong Kong reached by Le French May Arts Festival every year HongKongEcho | 13

CULTURE | The culture conversation

THE CULTURE CONVERSATION

Hong Kong’s identity has always been in danger. That doesn’t mean it can’t evolve for the better, says Douglas Young, whose brand has taken a cheekier approach than most to shaping Hong Kong’s culture conversation.

D

ouglas Young’s office-slash-atelier is a crash course in Hong Kong nostalgia.

Vintage toys, classic letterboxes, retro clocks – even an old bicycle is suspended poetically from the rafters. “A lot of this stuff is from the Hong Kong I grew up in during the 1970s and 80s,” says the founder of Goods of Desire (G.O.D.) by way of introduction.

Housed within a repurposed industrial building in the residential Shek Kip Mei neighbourhood, the workspace is just a short stroll from Sham Shui Po where much of the eclectic memorabilia was sourced by Young himself.

“I like my designers to be surrounded by inspiration,” he says, patiently posing for our photos in an old leather barber’s chair which has likewise taken up residence in the office.

The space is chaotic and overflowing

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with prototypes; a reflection of Young’s creative method. “I’m the kind of person who comes in every morning with 10 different ideas – most of which will get shot down by my team very quickly,” he says with a grin.

That such a collection of Hong Kong souvenirs decorates every inch of the space will come as no surprise to those familiar with the brand. Since its launch in 1996 as a small outlet in Ap Lei Chau, G.O.D. has played off the city’s cultural identity to position itself firmly as a purveyor of all things Hong Kong with nine stores across the city today.

Desire lines “When I first started, I often wondered why there were so few brands that represented Hong Kong in a modern way,” he says in the British tones acquired from his boarding school days in England. “One thing I noticed that most European countries do well is

embrace their origins and evolve them whereas modern Hong Kong brands almost deny their roots.”

An Italian brand wouldn’t pretend to be British, he adds for emphasis. “The brands I admire are always proud of their heritage. On that point, because of the city’s colonial past, we have an ingrained history of considering local culture as inferior. It doesn’t need to be that way.”

It began with simple patterns. Transposed onto products, the illustrations of Yau Ma Tei’s iconic patchwork of apartment windows – personalised as they are with their inhabitant’s laundry and various signage – became an instant hit. So too the brand’s gloriously bold Cantonese newspaper pattern.

The name itself gives a nod to local identity: G.O.D. – or gee oh dee as it’s pronounced in Cantonese – means ‘to live better’. “I wanted to acknowledge

“Modern Hong Kong brands almost deny their roots.�

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that the brand is from Hong Kong,” notes Young, explaining that many local brands typically choose Mandarin Chinese or even English names over the local dialect.

Cantonese slang continues to inform much of the brand’s recognisable t-shirt slogans along with a generally tonguein-cheek approach to expressing Hong Kong’s identity. T-shirts emblazoned with ‘I did it on Harcourt Road’ – in the wake of the Occupy Central movement – come to mind. So too a porcelain ‘Fortune Cat’ with a raised middle finger in defiance of its usual overlycute depiction.

An obvious question would be how Hong Kong’s own cultural identity aligns with that of China. “I don’t think we should deny that Hong Kong is nonetheless a Chinese city. But it also has its colonial history. All of this needs to be woven together,” he says.

We press our host on whether this identity is in danger of being forgotten.

“It has always been in danger. But I think it will survive because we care about our identity – and actually I like the fact that it’s always evolving.”

Opening up broader conversations about modernising local culture would

“I don’t think we should deny that Hong Kong is nonetheless a Chinese city.”

Something old, something new Detractors may find it kitsch. But such a Hong Kong-centric approach has few parallels in a city saturated by global chain outlets.

However, the line between cliché and cultural celebration is always shifting, he admits. G.O.D.’s 2009 collaboration with Starbucks to fit out their Duddel Street café in the style of a traditional Hong Kong teahouse was unique at the time. Today it feels like an increasingly odd juxtaposition between a behemoth of globalisation and an icon of Hong Kong’s traditional working class culture.

“When we first created that space, it was quite cutting edge. Then over time the gentrification or rather the ‘Disneyfication’ process begins,” he laughs, “and ultimately it ends up being quite passé. But this is what happens with culture; the point is you need to start somewhere.”

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be a start, he suggests. “Take Chinese New Year, for example. We accept that it’s going to be gaudy and cliché.

Really we should be questioning that expression of identity and updating it.”

He points to the garment he’s wearing.

It’s something between a soft Patagonia fleece sweater and a classic Chinese jacket – one of Young’s own prototypes.

“I’m a big advocate for updating Chinese dress. Its traditional form is completely out of date – but that doesn’t mean we can’t modernise it.”

That may still be some way off. But a more significant shift is already on the horizon. “We continue to live in a very Euro-centric world. The balance won’t completely flip, but I think Chinese culture will start to play a larger role in global culture. I simply want to be part of this worldwide conversation.”

CULTURE | Five reflections

FIVE REFLECTIONS WITH...

Critic, collector, curator: Caroline Chiu does it all. She joins us at Gallery EXIT in the gritty South Island outpost of Tin Wan – the site of her latest curation – for a chat on why there’s more to the city’s art scene than meets the eye.

O

n Hong Kong as simply a marketplace for art…

Hong Kong is – and always has been – a great marketplace for art. But this success shouldn’t be seen as a failure of Hong Kong in other areas. Yes, there are extreme factors such as high real estate pricing and increasing availability of art through the internet, but that doesn’t exclude the fact there is an ever-growing offering of art, artists, art schools, and places for art in the city.

On the art ecosystem beyond the buying…

If Hong Kong’s developing ecosystem for art and artists is not apparent at first, it’s because there are many layers to Hong Kong as a city. Art schools, for example, play a fundamental role and we’re seeing excellent artists coming out of the likes of Hong Kong Baptist University, the Hong Kong Art School and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Asia Art Archive is another great example of an organisation that makes up an important

part of the ecosystem in advancing our understanding of art from a research perspective.

On the gallery scene…

Over the past decades we’ve seen a boom in major international galleries setting up in Hong Kong, from the likes of White Cube, Lehmann Maupin, and Massimo de Carlo to David Zwirner in the H Queens tower which opened last year. That’s in addition to long-standing galleries like Hanart TZ Gallery and Alisan Fine Arts.

But there is also a robust local gallery scene with independent galleries like the one we’re in today who tend to show emerging artists and consequently the price point is much lower. Of course it means they end up in locations that are out of the way for most of us, so it’s harder for them to build an audience.

On the private sector leading the way…

Hong Kong has always been a private

initiative kind of place.

Private actors like the Hong Kong Jockey Club continue to pour significant funding into the sector. But there are other actors popping up all the time offering studio spaces or cultivating the artist community. The new HART Haus studio in Kennedy Town is one that comes to mind, which is a converted factory space dedicated to the creation process and realisation of large-scale installations and projects in Hong Kong.

On this generation of Hong Kong artists…

The likes of Hilarie Hon, Lee Kit, Cheng Ting Ting, and Chris Huen are all doing amazing work. They’re probably the most Hong Kong recognisable artists of this generation and they’re very much gaining an audience overseas. Of course, we shouldn’t forget the influence on this generation of Hong Kong masters like Gaylord Chan and Luis Chan whose works remain vital and relevant today.

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CULTURE | Plus-size

PLUS-SIZE

Great cities have great cultural institutions. In that regard Hong Kong has been lacking. That’s about to change says the woman behind the M+ museum project, who unveils her ambitions to catapult the city into a new era as a global culture capital.

“W

e will be the global museum in Hong Kong and we will transform the cultural landscape as a result,” says Suhanya Raffel, Executive Director of Hong Kong’s highly anticipated premier museum project M+.

Perched in the South-West corner of the enormous chunk of reclaimed harbourfront, known as the West Kowloon Cultural District, sits the humble M+ Pavilion. It’s the temporary, much smaller base for the museum’s exhibitions in the lead-up to the opening of the main museum building set for 2020.

We’re on location at the Pavilion where the Noguchi for Danh Vo: Counterpoint exhibition has overtaken the modest space. Earthy browns, cool beiges, neutral charcoals; a minimalist celebration of two artists and their objects. A towering artefact commands

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much of the space – an open wooden hexagon which feels like a strippedback homage to a traditional Chinese garden pavilion. Raffel suggests we take a seat inside the structure for our chat.

“Despite being a great city, Hong Kong has lacked large scale cultural infrastructure,” she says in her typically hushed tones, the softness of which belies her fierce optimism.

“The West Kowloon Cultural District is addressing that through the world’s most ambitious cultural infrastructure project across performing arts and museums. The government has realised that in order to be a cultural capital, as well as a financial one, this sort of investment has to be made.”

The Guggenheim of our times At a cost upwards of HK$21.6 billion and a total area of 40 hectares, she might just be right.

What’s currently a messy jumble of construction sites, the District is slowly, inevitably rising out of the ground. Aside from the M+ Pavilion – which has been operating since 2016 – and the recently opened Xiqu Centre for Chinese opera, the District will play host to a cluster of institutions unlike anything the city has seen before.

An Art Park – which includes a ‘Freespace’ catering to live performances – has been progressively opening to the public since 2018 while the Lyric Theatre Complex and the Hong Kong Palace Museum will ultimately complete the puzzle.

The Australian – who took the reigns as Director in mid-2016 – is assured as ever when outlining her vision for M+’s role in all this. “We’re a global museum and a very ambitious one at that.” She cites the Museum of Modern Art (New York) and the Pompidou Centre (Paris)

M+ PAVILION, COURTESY OF WEST KOWLOON CULTURAL DISTRICT AUTHORITY AND M+, HONG KONG

as examples of institutions which have radically influenced the cultural narrative of their cities. “M+ will not only do that for Hong Kong, but for Asia as well.”

M+ will place Asian influences front and centre as a showcase for 20th and 21st century visual art, design and architecture, and moving image. “As an institution, we’re essential to the process of reflecting on our time and place in the world. On that note, especially in our highly globalised world, Hong Kong voices and Asian voices are not given the privilege that they should on the international stage.”

of Hong Kong, where worries over an encroaching presence of (self-) censorship have come to the fore in recent months. But Raffel affirms that her ability to curate freely in the statefunded project remains intact. “We have total independence to bring our curatorial ideas and vision into place,” she says.

the vast majority of which was donated by its Swiss collector namesake Uli Sigg.

From there, Raffel and her team have built their overall collection to some 6,000 objects with over 15,000 archival items.

Build it and they will come?

“Hong Kong is already home to a handful of museums with high quality collections. What the city hasn’t cultivated, however, is a culture of attending museums.”

“Despite being a great city, Hong Kong has lacked large scale cultural infrastructure.”

Exactly how these voices are showcased implies a significant curatorial responsibility. That’s especially the case in the politically-charged context

Much of that vision will see Hong Kong art inhabit the same space alongside the most prized pieces from around the world. “Until now that has never been done before on this scale,” she says.

Its founding collection – the M+ Sigg Collection – is a 1,500-piece-strong selection of some of the most renowned and relevant Chinese contemporary art,

That’s despite Hong Kong’s noteworthy progress in developing a highly active international art market. Art Basel is the obvious jewel in this crown with the art world’s movers and shakers descending upon the city every March to cut deals worth tens of millions of

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WKCDA District View (digital rendering), courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

West Kowloon Cultural District in numbers • 6 major cultural structures • 23 hectares of public open space • 2 kilometres of waterfront promenade • 10,000 person capacity outdoor concert / event venue

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3

FREESPACE

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M+ PAVILION

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VIEW OF M+ BUILDING FROM THE PARK

• 6 performance theatres integrated within the Xiqu Centre, the Lyric Theatre Complex and the Freespace venue • 24,600 square metres of exhibition space across the M+ main building and the Hong Kong Palace Museum

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HONG KONG PALACE MUSEUM

4

7

ART PARK

XIQU CENTRE

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LYRIC THEATRE COMPLEX

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INTERIOR OF THE M+ BUILDING

Suhanya Raffel, Executive Director of Hong Kong’s highly anticipated premier museum project M+

“Success will mean transforming this city.

It will be a slow process which will require some patience. But it will happen and we’ll feel it.” dollars. “That’s not a bad thing, by the way,” she adds. But a museum’s role is nonetheless critical in giving balance to the cultural ecosystem.

“How we think about ‘value’ in art and culture needs to be more complex than just the financial element. That’s where a museum comes into the conversation – it’s a way of engaging with the broader public.”

Slow burner “An active approach has to be taken to engage a local audience base, which hasn’t grown up with a world class

museum on its shores,” says Raffel. The institution launched the M+ Rover in 2016 – a customised trailer, which operates as a travelling creative studio and exhibition space touring local secondary schools and community spaces.

2019 will also be the fifth year that M+ runs a summer camp for young people on the cusp of entering university to stimulate their thinking about the role of art in society and beyond.

faze the quiet but resolute Raffel, who was instrumental in her previous role at the Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art in taking the institution from regional backwater to international player.

“For me success will mean transforming this city. It will be a slow process, which will require some patience. But it will happen and we’ll feel it.”

You sense the task of cultivating and engaging an informed audience won’t

Photo credits - opposite page: 1 © Herzog & de Meuron, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron and West Kowloon Cultural District Authority 2 Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and Rocco Design Architects Limited 3 4

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7 Courtesy of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

8 © Herzog & de Meuron, courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron and West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

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MEET THE MAKERS Art hub, perhaps. Artist hub? Hardly. The business of art may be booming, but getting noticed – and surviving – as an artist in Hong Kong is no easy feat. We sat down with three locally-based artists who are doing just that.

Photography by Mathilde Gattengo

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CULTURE | Meet the makers

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Courtesy of Anat Givon

Anat Givon, photographer THE COMBINATION of architecture and geography in Hong Kong is fascinating. You have layers of buildings in different styles which – when framed in a viewfinder – look like a collection of cubes, lines and colours. The visual effect of that is very powerful.

WHEN I FIRST BEGAN approaching galleries in Hong Kong, over 10 years ago, I was turned away before anyone would even look at my work. They weren’t interested unless you were Chinese. At that time galleries were concentrated on mainland Chinese art, as Hong Kong was regarded as the gateway to such art.

IN A STRANGE TWIST I started receiving commissions by a Hong Kong-based gallery for projects which were often in mainland China or for mainland Chinese organisations precisely because I was not Chinese – they wanted something different.

Today Hong Kong feels more open to different art, I think international fairs such as Art Basel and others have made the local art scene much more varied.

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CULTURE | Meet the makers

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SCREEN CAPTURES PROVIDED BY ARTIST

Bao Ho, street artist FINDING WALLS WAS IMPOSSIBLE in the beginning as no-one knew me or my work. I was lucky that the HK WALLS festival gave me an opportunity in 2015.

After that things just took off and all of a sudden I was being contacted by brands for commissions.

I LIKE TO TAKE MY TIME. So painting under the cover of darkness is not my really my thing. It makes practicing difficult – ideally I’d like to have a place with walls where I can experiment and improve my skills. That simply doesn’t exist in Hong Kong.

THE HKSAR GOVERNMENT HAS NOT SUPPORTED STREET ARTISTS. Sure, they have done some marketing campaigns to introduce street art to tourists – but the government hasn’t actually helped street artists secure those walls to paint. They simply reap the benefit after artists have managed to create something.

BAO HO’S MURAL IN CHOI HUNG

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CULTURE | Meet the makers

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Chris Huen, painter I’VE ALWAYS LOOKED TO ESCAPE from the typical images of Hong Kong and how people see the city. My paintings depict daily life and the quieter side of living in Hong Kong. Ever since I was young I’ve sought out those quiet places.

IT’S VERY EASY TO BE IGNORED as an artist in Hong Kong. Unlike in China or Taiwan, it’s not really viewed as a real profession – in many ways you feel more like a freelancer.

THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT for artists hasn’t really been helped by Art Basel even if it has helped the art market. It’s great to have the business side of things, but you also need to have the institutions and support for artists. Currently the market is doing well but that doesn’t match with the pace of grass root developments.

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CULTURE | Heritage hopes

HERITAGE HOPES Heritage has long been left by the wayside in Hong Kong. But with tourists demanding a more authentic taste of the city, the Hong Kong Tourism Board is playing to a new tune.

Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board

“H

ong Kong has relied on shopping as its key tourism drawcard for the past 50 years. About 10 years ago we asked ourselves if that would be enough to carry the city forward. The answer, clearly, was no,” says Anthony Lau, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). In order to go beyond its shopping paradise reputation, he affirms that the city needs to develop a more varied tourism offer for a range of visitor expectations.

That’s, of course, not a new reflection. As the government-funded body responsible for marketing and promoting the best the city has to offer, HKTB’s response has been to draw up a menu of 10 experiences it believes will cater to the ever-varying demands of visitors.

Dining, nightlife, entertainment, festivals, sporting events, arts happenings, living culture, attractions, great outdoors, and shopping make up the list. Arguably, much of this is not new. But it’s all about how you

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package it, according to Lau. That’s where HKTB is looking to leverage Hong Kong’s heritage as a way of marketing to visitors who expect more than the tried and tested hotspots.

A new type of tourist Which visitors, you ask? Of Hong Kong’s 65 million annual visitor arrivals roughly half are same-day visitors (overwhelmingly from mainland China), making an in-depth foray into heritage and culture an unlikely drawcard.

But among the other 30-or-so million Lau pinpoints a group HKTB classifies as the ‘cultural explorers’. Marketing jargon aside, these tend to be visitors from longhaul markets like Europe, the United States, Australia, Japan, parts of South East Asia, as well as mainland Chinese tier 1-2 cities.

They’ve been to Hong Kong before. They know its main sites. And crucially, they want to get beneath the city’s skin and

understand its culture.

“Our approach in the past has been simply to highlight various points of interest without any story-telling or context. Heritage is much more than just old buildings, it’s very much part of our people and who we are,” says Lau. HKTB’s latest push is a district-focused effort called the Neighbourhood Programme which aims to package neighbourhoods in a way which will immerse visitors in the story of locals and their heritage, one district at a time.

Districts in focus The programme kicked off in 2017 with the ‘Old Town Central’ campaign, essentially giving a layer of heritage branding to a district often considered a business-only nest of skyscrapers. Suggested itineraries and historical insights punctuate its dedicated section on the HKTB website directing visitors to some of the lesstravelled sites like Jamia Mosque in MidLevels – the very first in Hong Kong.

POLICE HEADQUARTERS BLOCK, TAI KWUN. PHOTO COURTESY: TAI KWUN

QR codes on signage throughout the neighbourhood likewise points wandering travellers on to suggested walks through inbuilt Google Maps routes.

In late 2018, HKTB launched the latest district focus, turning its attention to Sham Shui Po in a HK$12 million marketing campaign. The gritty Kowloon neighbourhood is one of Hong Kong’s lowestincome areas; a living retrospective to what the city looked and felt like before modern redevelopment took hold in earnest. Its culinary offerings – mostly featuring old Cantonese wares not easily found elsewhere – have earnt a loyal following. Eight (exceptionally affordable) Michelin stars are somewhat unexpectedly scattered throughout the neighbourhood.

being off the tourist map in the first place.

So how do you actually keep it that way?

“It’s a question tourism marketers are always discussing and I’m not sure anyone really has a good solution yet. At the end of the day, I think we should remember there are real economic benefits of tourism. Why shouldn’t Sham Shui Po benefit also?”

buildings or other elements of Hong Kong culture like the city’s dai pai dong food stalls.

“I think the government has improved a lot in recent years,” says Lau. Landmark redevelopment projects like Tai Kwun, PMQ and the Mei Ho House Youth Hostel have brought positive rejuvenation to various heritage buildings, with the latter receving an honourable mention from the UNESCO APAC Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

“Heritage is much more than just old buildings, it’s very much part of our people and who we are.”

It’s certainly the ‘authentic’ Hong Kong many visitors crave – partly by virtue of

Dispersing throngs of tourists away from over-crowded go-to locations like Causeway Bay and Tsim Tsa Shui is also part of the consideration, says Lau. The branding and packaging is all well and good. But real questions have been raised as to whether this discourse matches the government’s perceived lack of interest in preserving the last remaining heritage

“It always comes down to a fine balance.

We have to remember that Hong Kong is a small territory with a growing population – obviously I think we should preserve heritage where we can, or even relocate certain buildings, but not necessarily at the cost of development.”

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CULTURE | Soft power, hard sell

SOFT POWER, HARD SELL

Benoît Etienne, Consul for Culture, Education and Science at the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau

“I don’t think it’s wrong to say we ought to make money with culture,” says Benoît Etienne, Consul for Culture, Education and Science at the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong and Macau. With decades of cultural investment in tow, he says it’s time to reap the rewards.

H

HKE: Is that a hint that perhaps your role as a Consulate has shifted?

Benoît Etienne: Certainly cultural outreach is very much a unique part of French diplomacy. French consulates worldwide have – for a long time – actively been involved in the promotion of culture as a key element of soft power; the United States is probably the only other nation where that cultural promotion is so widespread.

BE: Well, today our cultural action and policy is primarily dedicated towards what I’d describe as ‘strategy’. What we see is that France is already a world leader in a number of cultural or creative industries including cinema, publishing, music and even video games. So, how can we help French businesses in these sectors capture market opportunities in our region?

ongKongEcho: Diplomacy and culture hand-in-hand, is this soft power à la française?

HKE: How does that translate to the context of Hong Kong?

BE: Firstly, I’d say that Hong Kong people have a certain affection for France and its way of life. That’s evidenced by the fact that the city is home to an extremely large Alliance Française with some 6,000 students, making it the 7th largest worldwide.

Of course, probably our most notable initiative is Le French May Festival which was created by the Consulate and Alliance Française in 1993, and which has grown to be arguably Hong Kong’s 2nd most important arts festival behind the Hong Kong Arts Festival. An independent association is now responsible for its organisation but we very much remain involved on a boardroom level.

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As an example, during this year’s FILMART in Hong Kong – the city’s film and television trade fair – we’ll have a dedicated pavilion with 26 French companies visiting town to sell and promote their products or expertise. We’re heavily involved in making sure they’re able to make the most of the exhibition. The point is really for them to find the right clients and start selling here in the next couple of years as Hong Kong is very much a hub to penetrate the markets of South East Asia.

HKE: In that sense you’re positioning culture as an economic driver?

BE: Absolutely. For a long time there’s been this idea that culture is just about spending a lot of money and to be as visible as possible. Today’s vision is that it’s great to promote French culture, but it’s even better

if we can get a return on our investment.

HKE: Is this approach specific to Hong Kong?

BE: It’s all about the local context. I would say that the French embassies in South Korea and Japan are taking a similar approach. For Hong Kong it’s a case of there being the cultural infrastructure, a well-travelled local population, and of course, the money for investment.

HKE: How does this play into the Hong Kong government’s own thinking?

BE: To my mind, Hong Kong’s government is really committed to promoting culture (notably via the West Kowloon Cultural District and the opening of the M+ Museum) and is well aware of the economic aftermath. That’s why we’ve seen such heavy investment in infrastructure and attracting major events like Art Basel. Hong Kong aims to play a key role in the Greater Bay Area, especially in the financial and services sector, and culture is a leverage to support this objective. The French consulate enjoys excellent bilateral relations with Hong Kong authorities and we strongly rely on them to go ahead in supporting our policies and building longlasting partnerships.

HongKongEcho | 33

CULTURE | Mall talk

MALL TALK

Fancy a peak at the latest hip Chinese artist’s mega-installation while you grab a new pair of sneakers? Well, you’re in luck. Welcome to K11’s art mall concept and a new era of cultural consumption.

W

hen K11 launched in Hong Kong as the world’s first ‘art mall’ in 2009, eyebrows would have rightly been raised. Art inside a shopping mall? We’ll see how long that lasts.

Since then, it has not only expanded the concept to four cities across mainland China, but also changed the game for how the next generation may consume culture in the years ahead.

Linking up with the other seaside developments including the (also newly-renovated) Hong Kong Museum of Art and the West Kowloon Cultural District, K11 MUSEA hopes to play its own role in the re-shaping of Kowloon’s harbourfront as a cultural hotspot.

Beyond the mall “What Adrian aims to do is cultivate

That ‘contemporary’ culture Cheng refers to is as much about the art as the way it’s presented, says Rebecca.

Exhibitions which create interaction through digital formats, for one, are central to this. So are the games and integrated photo opportunities for those with a penchant for Instagramming their every waking moment. Meanwhile a year-round offering of art-specific events to stimulate the space includes a programme of talks and concerts.

“The point is there has to actually be engagement between the art and those who visit the mall.”

“For a lot of people, art is not always very accessible or understandable.”

In that regard, 39-year-old Founder Adrian Cheng – heir to Chinese real estate behemoth New World Development (NWD) – certainly hasn’t lacked ambition.

The original six-story incarnation is a now a mainstay of the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping scene. The latest? K11 MUSEA: said to be the most ambitious museum-retail project under the K11 group which combines world-class experiences in retail, art, culture, entertainment and gastronomy under one roof – scheduled for opening in the third quarter of 2019 right on the shores of Victoria Harbour along the newly renovated Avenue of Stars.

34 | HongKongEcho

interest in contemporary Chinese culture,” says Rebecca Woo, Senior Director, Operation (Hong Kong) at K11 Concepts Limited. She’s been on board at K11 since 2013 having previous spent nearly 20 years in NWD’s classic retail mall arm – New World Department Store – “a very different world,” she admits.

“For a lot of people, art is not always very accessible or understandable.”

The solution is what she refers to as Cheng’s vision of “art for the masses”.

But it’s about more than simply hanging artworks in a mall.

As for the art itself, K11’s art team is not separate to the pure operations side and the two evidently collaborate. Themes or topics are decided before the team reaches out to artists – largely local – to explore the curation possibilities.

But sales remain important – it’s a mall after all. “We merge exhibitions with the whole customer experience. That goes right from the marketing campaigns to customer service. It’s also about pushing products for our tenants which means we talk to them in advance of

URBAN SENSE, 2016

HongKongEcho | 35

K11 PIAZZA

FOUNDATION FORAYS

The K11 Art Foundation (KAF) – founded by Adrian Cheng in 2010 – is a non-profit organisation promoting contemporary art and fostering arts appreciation. With a specific focus on Chinese contemporary art, it has presented over 60 solo and group exhibitions featuring works of emerging Chinese artists in different parts of the world. Notable artist’s solo exhibitions organised

by KAF include Cheng Ran: Diary of a Madman at New Museum in New York, Tianzhuo Chen at Palais de Tokyo

in Paris, and Zhang Ding: Enter the Dragon at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

Collaborations with internationally known institutions such as MoMA PS1 (where Cheng is now a board member) have amplified Chinese artists’ exposure on the international art scene and placed KAF at the forefront of the development of Chinese contemporary art.

THE UNIVERSE IN ME, 2017

THE UNIVERSE IN ME, 2017

CHRISTMAS ART PLAYGROUND, 2018

CHI K11 ART SPACE

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TIANZHUO CHEN, 2016 (SHANGHAI)

ME: MILLENNIALS, 2017

Rebecca Woo, Senior Director, Operation (Hong Kong) at K11 Concepts Limited

“We’re tapping into a young local audience who are interested in expressing their character.” our themed exhibitions to see how they can be relevant to what’s on display whether it’s designing specific products or creating an adapted F&B offering.”

Many of those tenants include the usual suspects of mega malls. But themed zones within the mall like K11 Design Store, K11 Beauty, K11 Select and K11 Natural provide an avenue for more quirky and obscure brands to muscle in on the action.

Millennial mania K11’s target base? Well, you don’t need to be a marketing aficionado to connect the dots.

Millennials are firmly in its crosshairs with the group labelled as “prominent drivers of global consumption,” wielding a spending power set to reach US$6 trillion by 2020 in an official press release for the upcoming K11 MUSEA.

One of the mall’s current exhibitions is actually the third in a series explicitly called ‘ME: MILLENNIALS SERIES 3.0: ME TIME’. But it’s an interest in art and culture, or at least a desire to learn more about it, which defines K11’s audience according to Rebecca.

That audience likewise tends to be local. “Tourists generally visit the city for a short amount of time with very long shopping lists. That’s not what we’re focusing on. We’re tapping into a young local audience who are interested in expressing their character – which is why we want to create that hard-toreplicate personal experience through their interaction with art and our cultural programmes.”

says Rebecca. Where other malls will use art one month and a celebrity meetand-greet another, K11 has nailed their niche by focusing purely on an art and culture offering.

“Often generating footfall is not that difficult. Whether it’s sustainable and whether it’s your target audience who returns each time is another question.”

That hasn’t always been an easy sell. “I come from a world which is purely about sales per square foot. In the beginning it was difficult to get the message across to retailers that art could actually drive sales. But over time we’ve been able to show that our consistency draws the right footfall and ultimately conversion can be increased.”

Of course they’re not the only ones using art and culture to do so. Gimmicks to attract footfall are nothing new but the difference is a consistency in strategy,

HongKongEcho | 37

CULTURE | The reel deal

Albert Lee, Executive Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS)

With almost 50 years of history, the Hong Kong International Film Festival has achieved remarkable longevity. Even more remarkable is that you may have never heard of it. The man in the director’s chair tells us how he wants bring some buzz into its brand.

A

lbert Lee remembers attending the very first edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF).

That, as one of Asia’s longest-running, was some 43 years ago.

Lee, a down-to-earth industry veteran and former CEO of renowned film studio Emperor Motion Pictures, took over as Executive Director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society (HKIFFS) – the NGO behind the festival – in November 2018 with preparations for this year’s edition in full swing.

Its running date (18 March-1 April) is dictated by its positioning within the government’s Entertainment Expo, a collection of industry-focused events held at roughly the same time. On that front, the festival certainly has its work cut out standing out in a highly saturated Hong Kong Arts Month

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despite the presence of a plethora of industry executives in town and a loyal local following.

A better tomorrow An outsider with a thoroughly privatesector background, Lee is upfront about what he identifies as the festival’s shortcomings. Most frustrating for him is that the festival has no true home.

Currently it makes use of 12 locations for screenings from Kowloon Bay and Olympic to Wan Chai and Central.

“This is a major issue. In other cities with notable film festivals – from Berlin to Busan – there is a physical hub which helps bring a sense of atmosphere,” he says. “In Hong Kong you don’t feel that there is a film festival in town when it’s taking place. That’s something we need to change.”

Ticketing is another area Lee highlights

as in need of a shake-up. The HKIFF is beholden to the different ticket operators associated with each venue and the booking process tends to be clunky and unhelpful.

Subtitling could also improve, he affirms. This year 70% of films feature Chinese subtitles, an improvement on recent years, but still a long way to go if the festival wants to expand its reach amongst locals.

The international stage As a festival purely promoting film culture – and not a competition festival – the HKIFF’s programme doesn’t build blockbuster lineups of world premieres that punters may be used to at the likes of Berlin and Cannes. “We know that we’re unable to compete on that scale,” says Lee, “Instead we look to maximise with smaller Asian or international premieres”.

© 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited All Rights Reserved

©Jean-Claude Moireau

SYNONYMS (2019)

BY THE GRACE OF GOD (2019)

EASTERN CONDORS (1987)

INDUSTRY INSIDERS Running parallel to the festival, HKIFFS also coordinates the Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum. Now in its 17th edition, the forum pairs investors from around the world with filmmakers (both Asian and international) who may not have access to typical fundraising to look for financing to enter production, or top-up their finances mid-production.

This year’s lineup features over 50 Asian or international premieres. And while many of this year’s big name features have already been released elsewhere, Lee is proud of the level of what’s on display.

The likes of Synonyms and By the Grace of God are two prominent films in this year’s programme that are hot off world premieres in February 2019 at the Berlin International Film Festival; the first winning the festival’s top prize (the Golden Bear) while the second picked up the Grand Jury Prize. Both are making their Asian debuts at the HKIFF. Made in Hong Kong Despite being a thoroughly international affair, the festival nonetheless looks to put the spotlight on Hong Kong productions. That’s easier said than done – partly for timing reasons as

Of the 455 films presented in its history 137 have been made into feature films including last year’s hit, the Chinese-made Dying to Survive, which made upwards of US$420 million after its eventual release.

many producers tend to favour a release at Chinese New Year rather than wait to debut their films at the festival.

Of course it’s also no secret that Hong Kong productions have been in steady decline since the heydays of the 1990s.

In recent years, local productions have stalled at about 50 per year although co-productions with mainland China are increasingly popular and account for roughly the same number of annual productions.

Those co-productions frequently place well in the top 10 box office rankings in mainland China at any given moment.

It may be impossible to replicate the 300-400 Hong Kong productions the city was pumping out in its halcyon days.

But the HKIFF nonetheless provides an avenue to experience the best of old and new local productions.

For example this year’s filmmaker in focus is Sammo Hung – a legendary Hong Kong master of action films since the 1960s – whose work has never been seen on the big screen for an entire generation of locals. He will also take part in a face-to-face seminar as part of the festival.

Despite the slimmer selection, it’s not all doom and gloom for the new wave of Hong Kong productions says Lee. Yes, budgets are down, but young filmmakers are breaking through with quality material. A quick glance at the programme on the festival’s opening week reveals five out of the six films in the Hong Kong Retrospective section were sold out.

“I feel that in the years ahead we’ll start to see more Hong Kong productions in the lineup – on that front I’m quite hopeful.”

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Advertorial

A CULTURAL VOYAGE THROUGH LANGUAGE “Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world.” Beatrice Remy, Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur (Foreign Trade Advisors) spoke to Jean-Sebastien Attié, Executive Director of Alliance Française in Hong Kong (AFHK), to share his views on the deeply-rooted relationship between Hong Kong and France via language and culture.

When you introduce the Alliance Française (AF), what is the least known fact that surprises people?

Our size and importance in town. The fact that we are the 7th largest AF in the world, and the first in Asia. This importance is historical and independent from the presence of a French community.

Cultural action is essential to your mission. Culture does not stop at theatre, music, cinema or dance. Do you also value science, research, philosophy and heritage in Hong Kong?

Access to culture is the first reason why Hong Kong people wish to learn French with us. People want a general understanding of a way of life that captivates them. So, we cover every aspect of it through our own events or in partnership with the Consulate or other reputed institutions.

“Language is wine upon the lips,” said Virginia Woolf. French cuisine was classified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Has AFHK embraced this honour?

Surely, our monthly cuisine and wine workshops are among the most popular.

The AF network has developed a specific quality label for monitoring all aspects of our centres which is subject to continuous testing and questioning. Earning a certification is a personal satisfaction and a promise of social recognition.

What is the primary motivation for adult students in the corporate world to learn French?

First it’s to strengthen skills at a higher level for executives and those who need French in their daily activities. This follows the growth of the number of French companies locally.

Other motivations are cultural and personal development, a springboard for promotion, a reward for corporate teams or corporation-sponsored lifelong education. We developed the art de vivre workshop for companies to accompany regular language classes: cheese and/or wine tasting, a spotlight on Loire Castles or parts of French history, la Belle Époque, et cetera. This brings real moments of personal development alongside the traditional study of language.

AFHK’s aura and cultural output has moved to social networks. What does this mean?

We have Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. And each of our three centres (Wan Chai, Jordan and Sha Tin) has its own channel of communication.

Recently, hkinfrench.ning.com was launched as a platform for writing skills.

AFHK is a beacon for Hong Kong people since 1953 with the launch of the HK French Film Festival in 1971 and of Le French May in 1993. But which art form are you focused on?

Our focus, and favourite media, is cinema. Cinepanorama proposes more than 40 feature films and 120 screenings yearly. We also organise Le French May’s cinema program and a series of smallerscale events.

One major challenge for the future is the quality of education. How does this fuel your vision and actions?

Quality has always been our main concern.

In 2019, we will present a major photography event with Le French May, a wonderful retrospective of Willy Ronis works: From Paris to Venice.

We are active in the performing arts with concerts and ‘Make Music Hong Kong’ which last year brought more than 20,000 people to Tai Kwun for three days and 50 live concerts.

What initiative are you proud of that contributes to the progress of cultural diversity or exchanges between cultures?

The history of AFHK is rich in examples and initiatives, from the co-creation of Le French May in 1993 to the nearly 260 issues of Paroles Magazine, or the Fond des Artistes that supports local initiatives.

The CCE are fostering a positive image of France. What surprised you most about French culture when you first arrived here?

Its presence and accessibility. But I was most impressed by the maturity and density of French cultural projects.

One could argue that AFHK has positively enhanced Hong Kong’s economic development through culture and boosted its international outlook…

The conjunction of actions from every cultural institution has enabled Hong Kong to emphasise how culture can boost its attractiveness. Recently, the HKSAR Government made major investments in cultural infrastructure, levelling up the territory with the international competition.

Culture has an economic weight and contributes to development. But there is something not directly visible in GDP: the open-mindedness, the average cultural awareness and, lastly, happiness.

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42 | HongKongEcho

French Chamber Highlights 44 Looking Back

· Third edition of Bonjour Talents career fair

· Big names in F&B share their secrets

· Finance digital transformation match-making

· HeForShe conference for International Women’s Day

· French Chamber hosts SIAL China press conference

49 Members’ Highlights 53 New Faces 59 French Chamber Foundation

HongKongEcho | 43

LookingBack

Hong Kong students meet leading French companies at Bonjour Talents career fair

Sophie Leconte, Executive Director of the French Chamber, with Sophia Wan and HKUST representatives, Alexandre Giorgini, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau

This year’s Bonjour Talents career fair saw the French Chamber bring together 13 top French companies with 400 local students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School in Central for one packed afternoon of networking, exchange and more than a few CVs changing hands.

From financial juggernauts to agile leaders in digital innovation, the companies on display mirrored the diversity of French expertise spanning a range of domains. With six universities participating in this year’s event, the student profiles were equally varied across interest and level of study.

Thanks to a new dedicated website introducing the companies in advance of the event, students were able to easily seek out those who piqued their interest, ensuring a productive day for both parties. Ready for a 4th edition?

44 | HongKongEcho

LookingBack

Four big names in Food & Beverage share their secrets Food & Beverage is known for being a particularly tough game in Hong Kong. And yet there are some who seem to stay ahead of the game and succeed despite the odds.

On 22 January, coordinated under an initiative of the Chamber’s Food & Beverage Club, we spoke to four of the biggest names in the industry who’ve managed to do just.

Thank you to Christopher Mark (Black Sheep

Alain Decesse, President of the Chamber’s Food & Beverage Club

Restaurants), Danilo Nicoletti (Lai Sun Dining Group), Manuel Palacio (Pirata Group Limited), and Randy See (Piccolo Concepts Limited) for sharing their thinking behind their strategies as well as moderator David Baverez.

Danilo Nicoletti (Lai Sun Dining Group), Manuel Palacio (Pirata Group Limited), David Baverez (moderator), Christopher Mark (Black Sheep Restaurants), Randy See (Piccolo Concepts Limited)

Startups and corporates meet for finance digital transformation match-making Building upon last year’s Open Innovation Forum, we once again put open innovation high on the agenda on 28 January as corporates and startups got together for a whirlwind matchmaking session led by the Chamber’s Chief Financial Officer Club.

A packed house of 100 people made for a busy lunchtime of pitching and feedback between major MNCs and startups of various stages.

Many thanks to our partners for the event: Agorize, Sia Partners, and our hosts OnTheList.

Nicolas Morineaux, President of the CFO Club and Vice-President Finance & Operations at LVMH Fashion Group Asia Pacific, Mathieu Toulemonde, CEO Agorize Asia with Vincent Kasbi, Head of Asia, Sia Partners

HongKongEcho | 45

LookingBack

HeForShe conference gathers business leaders to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019

Aron Harilela (Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce), Fiona Nott (The Women’s Foundation), Teresa Cheng (GBS, SC, JP, Secretary for Justice), Rebecca Silli (French Chamber), Sandra Leung (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited), John Killian (Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited)

Gender equality is an issue that affects us all

welcoming speech. She likewise noted the strong

And it’s just the beginning. The French Chamber

and the business community in Hong Kong has

turnout of men at the evening – who are central

will organise – as it has done in the past two

taken notice.

to HeForShe’s mission of making men agents for

years – a series of follow-up workshops to share

change – before handing over to Mr John Killian,

best practices for workplace gender equality in

Group Chief Financial Officer at HKEX.

the coming months. Stay tuned and spread the

That was certainly clear on 5 March as we

word that you’re #HeForShe.

welcomed 500 high-level business executives to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019 at

We were likewise delighted to welcome Ms

our conference in support of HeForShe, a global

Theresa Cheng, GBS, SC, JP, Hong Kong

Thank

United Nations initiative. This year’s event – now

Secretary for Justice, as our Guest of Honour

Capgemini, Colliers International Hong Kong,

in its third edition – was organised by the French

to deliver her keynote speech and offer her

Kering, Swire, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole

Chamber in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong

perspective regarding gender equality in the

Corporate

Exchanges & Clearing Limited (HKEX), with the

legal community.

Natixis, Pernod Ricard Asia, Societe Generale,

This set the stage for the evening’s powerful experience-sharing and insights from a number

“Gender equality is not just a social issue – it is after

of

all also a key business issue,” said Mrs Rebecca

the concrete measures to improve female

Silli, President of the French Chamber, in her

advancement in the workplace.

46 | HongKongEcho

to

and

our

prominent

business

players

regarding

generous

Investment

Suez NWS, Veolia.

support of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and The Women’s Foundation.

you

Bank,

sponsors:

Mazars,

LookingBack

Desiree Au (The Women’s Foundation), Clarence Yang (Blackrock), Jinqing Cai (Kering), Laurent Pelletier (Veolia), Richard Lord (HSBC), Fida Bou Chabke (Remy Cointreau)

Xing Zhou, China Mainland and Hong Kong Diversity Leader at PwC

Angelina Kwan, Chief Operating Officer at BITMEX, encourages the audience to commit to #HeForShe

French Chamber’s Women on Board Club representatives: Marie-Hélène Prévot, Joanne Chin and Marie-Anne Kong

HongKongEcho | 47

LookingBack

SIAL China kicks off global media tour with press conference organised by the French Chamber

Asia’s largest food innovation exhibition, SIAL China, engaged the French Chamber to organise its press conference in Hong Kong in January this year to kick off its international press tour, announcing the 20th edition of the exhibition and its programmes. As an integral part of the SIAL Network, a group of seven leading food and beverage exhibitions including SIAL Paris, SIAL China is valuable platform for international exhibitors and food professionals looking for better knowledge and growth in Asia.

The press conference was well supported by over 40 VIPs from Hong Kong Food & Beverage (F&B)

associations,

business

partners,

government representatives and media.

David Yeung, Founder of Green Monday, with Kate Ba, Marketing Director of SIAL China

“In 2019 the imported F&B market in China

Taking place from 14-16 May 2019 at the

Registration for SIAL China is now open. To

will see a potential increase due to a series of

Shanghai New International Expo Center,

facilitate your visit, professional visitors are

policies aimed at reducing the ‘most favoured

SIAL China will feature more than 4,300

encouraged to pre-register online and obtain a

nation’ (MFN) tariff rate on food products,” said

exhibitors from over 70 countries. SIAL

free visitor badge.

Kate Ba, Marketing Director of SIAL China.

China has 21 product sectors among which

David Yeung, Founder of Green Monday, gave

meat, dairy, beverage and wine will be set

For enquiries, contact Tiffany Ho

us an insightful look at sustainable food trends

up as dedicated zones. This annual event

(tiffany.ho@fccihk.com)

and market in Hong Kong, as well as tips on

provides the best opportunity to meet

how to plan your visit to SIAL China in the best

innovative F&B brands and companies in

way.

the region.

48 | HongKongEcho

Register online now! www.sialchina.com

Members'Highlights

Drinks & Co (Pernod Ricard) makes a splash with experiential pop-up store in Central

Drinks & Co, the lifestyle extension of Pernod Ricard, the world’s most comprehensive spirits and wine distributor, launched a four-monthlong concept store in Central, celebrating conviviality during the festive season.

The brand, which promotes shared moments and believes that every drink shared shows generosity, took over a two-story space located at 57 Hollywood Road, in the heart

Frantz Hotton, Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Hong Kong & Macau, with Philippe Guettat, Chairman & CEO, Pernod Ricard Asia

of Soho and Hong Kong’s famous nightlife district, art

of

providing drinking

a

playground

where

sharing,

for

the

learning,

conversation, and shopping converge. Until the end of March 2019, visitors were treated to a different experience each month involving: vodka, cognac, blended & malt whisky and Champagne.

Each

month

also

featured

various workshops and lifestyle experiences for customers, such as a festive floral design workshop and a make-up tutorial with Mumm Champagne, Chivas whisky blending classes, as well as caviar pairing with Martell and Perrier-Jouët.

opportunity to take home the brand’s iconic

And then in March, to wrap things up as Art

copper wares.

Week descended on Hong Kong, the store was fitted out in jewel-toned greens and wild

Martell, the oldest French cognac house,

flowers celebrating #ArtOfTheWild for a month

took to the space in January. The month-

of Perrier-Jouët Champagne. Personalised

long boutique celebrated the brand’s ethos of

bottles of Champagne, DIY floral workshops,

curiosity with the shop offering a celebration

Champagne mentoring, and an immersive

around new discoveries, new encounters, and

artistic installation all made for a glitzy finish

new experiences.

to this unique pop-up.

For February it was all about whiskey, with

www.pernod-ricard.com

a raw aesthetic of dark wood and leather.

Featured brands included: Chivas Regal, The

Glenlivet,

Aberlour,

Longmorn,

and

The month of December saw the space

Scapa. Spanning two floors, the shop offered

transformed into Asia’s first Absolut Elyx

opportunities for tastings, education, and

Boutique,

access to rare blends.

offering

Hong

Kong’s

first

HongKongEcho | 49

Members'Highlights

Decathlon to open its biggest Hong Kong store in Tseung Kwan O

Decathlon will open its new Hong Kong store at

digitally showcase the complete range for visitors

areas across the store to engage with specialist

Sheung Tak Plaza in Tseung Kwan O on 15 June

to conveniently compare products and learn

Sports Leaders about their practice, their needs

2019, making it the French group’s third store in

about all the possibilities.

or to share knowledge with other like-minded

the city alongside their Causeway Bay and Mong Kok branches.

enthusiasts.

Convenience is a top priority for Decathlon Hong Kong, that’s why sports users can choose among

Regular sport learning classes will also allow

Over 36,000 sq. ft (3,500m²) of indoor shop floor,

several options and services to get their products

enthusiasts to discover new interests, maximise

and an outdoor sports playground of the same

as fast as possible. At Decathlon Tseung Kwan O,

product use, share experiences, while cyclists

dimension will allow visitors to really try and

customers will be able to checkout autonomously

can utilise the free bicycle workshop space to

experience the sports products they are curious

on the Decathlon mobile app for a fast and

test, upgrade, or repair their bikes DIY style or get

about. The new store will become the biggest

seamless shopping experience. Sport users in

the assistance from a Sport Leader.

sports retail space in Hong Kong.

a hurry will even be able to pick up their online purchase in store in one hour through Click &

Even with 36,000 sq. ft, the biggest sports store

Collect 1Hour service.

in Hong Kong cannot accommodate the entire Decathlon product catalogue which includes

Inspired by sports users and their needs,

over 13,000 models. That’s why 50” LED screens

Decathlon aims to make sports accessible

will be placed at prominent areas of the store to

to the many. Sports fans will find community

50 | HongKongEcho

www.decathlon.com.hk

Members'Highlights

Fidinam announces ‘Only Lyon’ correspondent The French Desk of Fidinam Hong Kong is proud

especially for entrepreneurship opportunities. In

(the largest light festival in the world). This event

to be involved in the Asian adventure of Only

2017, it ranked as the fifth richest region in Europe

marked the beginning of a fruitful cooperation

Lyon. Fidinam’s French Desk Manager, Sarah

for foreign investment.

between the two cities.

Under the responsibility of Invest in Lyon (Lyon

Thanks to Fidinam’s experience, and with its

Area Economic Development Agency) and with

firmly established network, it can assist Asian

The community was officially launched in May

28 institutional private partners, Only Lyon’s

investors willing to develop their activity and

2018, with the presence of the delegation from

final objective is to attract international talents,

collaborative projects in Lyon and the region of

Lyon including Alain Galliano, Vice-President

companies and investors to the city.

Auvergne Rhone-Alpes.

and the French General Consul of Hong

This organisation already plays an important role

www.fidinamgw.com

Kong and Macao at the time, Eric Berti.

in China, which is one of Lyon’s oldest and most

Meriguet, is the new correspondent of the ambassador network Only Lyon in Hong Kong.

of Lyon City, in charge of the public relationship,

important economic partners. Indeed, more than Fidinam is already involved in the Auvergne

160 companies from Rhône-Alpes are already

Rhône-Alpes region, particularly through its

established in China while 15 Chinese companies

partnership and client base, which has been

are located in Lyon.

growing in recent years.

In particular, Lyon has entertained strong ties Only Lyon is a brand and the territorial program

with Guangzhou, and the two cities have just

of the City of Lyon, dedicated to the promotion

celebrated 30 years of their twin city relationship

of Lyon and its competitiveness all over the

this year.

world. Lyon is France’s second business and cultural capital (after Paris). Thanks to its strategic

Regarding its relationship with Hong Kong, the

location and dynamic economy, it is considered

latter organised its first light festival in 2017 in

one of the most attractive regions in Europe,

partnership with Fête des Lumières de Lyon

Storefront teams up with Kcent to expand into Korean market Storefront,

the

world’s

largest

online

marketplace for short-term retail space, has

new markets and even launch simultaneously

story to Korean consumers, it can be a matter

in more than one location worldwide.

of a few days before they go viral,” adds Kim.

officially launched in Seoul.

Retail sales in Korea totaled US$343 billion

“Storefront is redefining how companies can

Retail vacancy rates in Korea are on the rise

in 2016, and this latest partnership in Seoul

locate and activate temporary retail space

due to a prolonged recession, and more

signals Storefront’s break into the East

with its global marketplace for connecting

brands are diverting their interests from

Asian market with their brand, technology

tenants and property owners in an efficient,

traditional retail to offer a quality experience

and insights combined with local talent and

flexible and transparent way. We are excited

to customers in the form of pop-up stores and

market expertise.

to partner with Kcent to bring our expertise to this fast-growing retail capital and introduce

short-term leases. Storefront has partnered with the Korean marketing and retail firm Kcent

“Korea is APAC’s 3rd largest retail market, and

the benefits of pop-up stores to thousands of

to register qualified spaces, sign up leading

most of it is based in Seoul. Pop-up stores and

merchants looking to expand into Korea,” said

and emerging brands and give them tools to

other forms of short-term rentals are already

Benoît Clément-Bollée, General Manager,

successfully market their short-term space.

creating a buzz in the trend-savvy Korean

Storefront Asia.

The Storefront site will now offer thousands

market. All we needed was a transparent

of spaces across Seoul available for pop-up

and efficient marketplace like Storefront to

stores, showrooms, and event spaces.

leverage this trend,” said Jin Yong Kim,

www.thestorefront.com

Kcent’s CTO. Storefront maintains a global presence with thousands of quality retail spaces across the

“Korea has a unique culture and language

world’s largest cities from Paris to London,

barrier that make it hard for foreign brands to

New York and Hong Kong. This advantage

expand their business here. But if they have

allows any brand to pop-up in any location, test

the right partner and know how to tell their

HongKongEcho | 51

Members'Highlights

Tricor Hong Kong expands commercial team and appoints Bobby Ying to lead Insurance and Wealth Solutions

Tricor Group (Tricor) is pleased to announce

Hong Kong, where he developed the company’s

veteran, Bobby’s appointment demonstrates our

the appointment of Bobby Ying as Head of

Partnership Distribution business which grew

commitment to building this business and helping

Insurance & Wealth Solutions. Bobby will be

over three times from 2015 to 2017. Bobby is a

our clients manage risk with insurance and wealth

responsible for developing the insurance and

specialist in high net worth distribution strategies

management partnerships.”

wealth management solutions at Tricor Hong

and insurance product development.

Kong and Singapore in conjunction with the

Bobby is a Qualified Retirement Advisor and

group’s chosen broker partners. Bobby and

Joe Wan, Deputy CEO of Tricor in Hong Kong,

a Certified Financial Planner, and received a

his team will be focused on providing a suite of

said: “Anticipating risk is essential to all successful

Bachelor’s degree in financial services from

solutions for Tricor’s corporate clients and their

businesses. At Tricor, we understand enterprises

Edinburgh Napier University.

shareholders and C-suite staff covering all general

wish to maximise their efficiency by identifying

and life insurance needs.

where risk should be retained or transferred. It’s

www.tricorglobal.com

with this in mind, together with our partners, that Bobby brings over 20 years of experience in

we decided to offer new insurance and wealth

the financial industry, including the banking and

management services to better serve the needs of

insurance sectors. Bobby joins Tricor from MetLife

our clients. As a well-respected insurance industry

WILD AGENCY opens its first international office in Europe Following its success in Hong Kong as an

for Asia-based clients who wish to target the

social media marketing, content creation, Search

international

web

western market. WILD’s presence in Europe will

Engine Marketing, paid search advertising and

development agency, WILD has opened its first

open new doors for both existing and new clients

many more.

international office in Europe with WILD SARL in

to grow even further.

digital

marketing

and

www.wild-at-heart.net

Luxembourg as well as a representative office in Paris.

WILD has worked with both SMEs and big brands across multiple industries to help companies

Opened in February 2019, its European offices

reach their digital marketing goals. The agency

are first, an answer to its multiple brands based in

provides a wide range of digital services

Europe; and second, an excellent stepping stone

including, web development and web design,

52 | HongKongEcho

NewFaces

Welcome to the New Members of the French Chamber NEW PATRON ADDITIONAL MEMBERS

ALSTOM HONG KONG LTD

BANQUE TRANSATLANTIQUE, REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE

BNP PARIBAS

Eddie TSE Project Director / Alstom Hong Kong Ltd. Director

Severine WULLENS Bank Representative Officer

Loan PHAM Head of Multinational Corporates Coverage Desk, Hong Kong

DANONE NUTRICIA EARLY LIFE NUTRITION (HK) LIMITED

FIDINAM (HONG KONG) LIMITED

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Philip KWAN Head of Legal, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs

Caterina BERNARDINI DE PACE Marketing Manager

Jonathan CHIU Hong Kong President

SONEPAR ASIA PACIFIC

TRICOR SERVICES LIMITED

Regina MOK HR VP Asia Pacific

Chloe CHAN Director of Mergers and Acquisition – Tricor Group

Brenda LEE Executive Director – Business Services

Richie WU Head of Digital Marketing & Digital Business Development, Asia Pacific

Rerina OR Senior Vice President Digital Acceleration

Daniel CHAN Head of Sales – Greater China

HongKongEcho | 53

NewFaces

NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS ABACARE HONG KONG LIMITED

FASHION ASIA SUPPLIES TAO LTD

The Abacare Group was established by Patrick Marie Herbet to promote ethical and personal services to companies and individuals in the field of insurance and financial services.

James SWATTON General Manager

Morgan DELEMAZURE Supply Chain Director

HAWKSFORD

Thibaud SARRAZIN Business Developer

Hawksford is an international advisory group assisting corporates, individuals and funds. In Asia, we have a strong focus on start-ups and SMEs. Our core services typically include company incorporation, corporate governance, tax and accounting, immigration and corporate secretarial services.

GOUTAL PARIS GOUTAL is a French niche perfume house founded by the visionary perfume creator Annick Goutal in 1981.

Anne DE ROULHAC Associate

KOELIS

Aurore de SAINT EXUPERY Senior Training & Project Officer

ICARE GROUP Icare Group designs, manufactures and distributes eyewear, eyewear cases and display materials out of its factories located in China and Cambodia.

KOELIS, The Prostate Care Company, assists clinician from around the world in their routine clinical practice, providing the latest technology for personalised prostate cancer planning and management.

Julien DECANTER Senior Product Specialist

MEIYUME

Cedric BIMAR Managing Director

OSBORNE CLARKE

Osborne Clarke is an international legal practice with over 850 talented lawyers and 260 expert Partners across 25 locations. Focussing on eight core industry sectors - technology, digital media & communications; financial services; real estate & infrastructure; retail & consumer; life sciences & healthcare; transport & automotive; energy & utilities; and recruitment – we Ann LY-KY help clients gain competitive advantage Foreign Legal Consultant Registered Foreign Lawyer in rapidly-evolving global markets.

54 | HongKongEcho

Aymeric de La GRANDIERE Senior Vice President Finance & Accounting

Stephane BULLE Vice President

Formerly known as LF BEAUTY, MEIYUME is a global ‘one-stop-shop’ for all Beauty players across skin care, fragrance and colour cosmetics. The company was owned

by Li & Fung, the world’s leading supply chain solutions partner for global brands and retailers, until it was divested in April 2018.

It is now a private company and its majority shareholder remains the Fung Group.

Emmanuel THIEDOT Vice President

NewFaces

TELEDYNE E2V ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED

TIMEO-PERFORMANCE

Teledyne e2v innovations lead developments in communications, automation, discovery, healthcare and the environment.

Anthony FERNANDEZ Vice President - Asia Pacific

Isabelle LARCHE Managing Director, Recruitment & Executive Search

Marc STACKLER Sales & Applications Engineer, Asia Pacific

Fabien MAILHE Managing Director, Business & HR Performance

We are in the Skills Business! Through recruitment, training and consulting, Timeo-Performance provides solutions for increased performance of companies, teams and individuals. Timeo-Performance has been helping companies in APAC increase business performance since 2008 with offices in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

NEW CORPORATE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS

ACCURACY

BLUEBELL (ASIA) LTD

CARREFOUR GLOBAL SOURCING ASIA LTD

Xavier GALLAIS Partner

Julia LIOTARD-VOGT Group Business Development Director

Thierry de SAINT JORES Electronic Appliance Director & HKG Office Manager

CREDIT INDUSTRIEL ET COMMERCIAL

FRENCH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 'VICTOR SEGALEN'

GLENEAGLES HONG KONG HOSPITAL

Aymeric MICHAUD Director, Structured & Corporate Finance

Sara DELOCHE Executive Director

Alexandre MAKOSZA HR Director

Chris TSUI Head, Business development and Marketing

INVEST HONG KONG

KPMG

K C LAM Head of Aftercare Team

Simon ROUSSEAU Manager

Alexis SCHLOSSER Manager

Edouard LAFORGE Audit Supervisor

HongKongEcho | 55

NewFaces

LUDENDO ASIA LTD

LUXURY BUSINESS INSTITUTE LIMITED

PIERRE FABRE DERMO-COSMETIQUE HK

Ying HE Manager

Lisa LAM China Market Coordination Director

Juan LI CFO

PLANISWARE

ROSEMONT (HONG KONG) LTD

SIA PARTNERS

Xavier LAMBERT IngĂŠnieur Consultant

Raphael BEAUDREY Business Manager

Jeremy FETIVEAU Senior Manager and Head of Digital Practice

NEW ENTREPRENEUR MEMBERS BESTAR

BOURBON DESIGN INDUSTRY

We are a company based in Singapore, specialised in company formation matters. We offer complete support to local and foreign businessmen who want to start a business in Singapore.

Bourbon Design Industry, a plastics specialist in injection molding and tabletting, is located in the heart of the Plastics Valley, one of the largest concentrations of plastics processing in Europe, between Lyon and Geneva.

Alex CUC

Francois NOURRIT CEO

CAMMAX INTERNATIONAL (ASIA) LTD

Jonathan LIEBERMAN Managing Director

Malik DIF Directeur

56 | HongKongEcho

Isabelle LIEBERMAN General Manager

CHAMPAGNE-ASIA

Jocelyn YOT Managing Director

Wine of Champagne importer/exporter and distributor. The philosophy of Champagne-Asia has its foundations in passion and conviction, the passion for our fellow man to savour a fine wine at its very peak, and the conviction that this Wine of the Kings is alive and to be treated with the utmost of care.

EQUANCE

FOSTIER CONSULTING

Equance is an international private management consulting company proposing services from asset management to financial monitoring and the implementation of financial and property investment solutions for both French residents and non-residents.

We provide you and our clients with wealth & asset management services including investments, private banking, real estate & insurance. Our experience is covering the Hong Kong and China markets and we can assist you in French, Mandarin, Cantonese, or English.

Lucie XIONG YING Founder

NewFaces

KAIROS ASIA PACIFIC LIMITED

LIFECLINIC

Kairos Asia Pacific Limited is also the exclusive importer and distributor for Hong Kong and Macau of MULEBAR - Sport Nutrition products - Natural ingredients, vegan and organic.

LifeClinic is a leading integrative medical centre led by international practitioners who are committed to providing a patient-centric and Functional Medicine approach towards medical care.

Pierre TABARIE Managing Director

Jerome LAMBRUSCHINI CEO

Sebastien SALIN Clinic Manager

PANIER DES SENS

PIKS DESIGN

Created in 2001 and based in Marseille, Panier des Sens is a natural cosmetic brand, made in France and sold in 40 countries. Inspired by the beauty of Provence, natural resources and Mediterranean know-how, Panier des Sens creates collections with natural active and authentic ingredients.

Centred on lived and observed uses, we design product & service with new and better experiences.

PIVOT 88

SPEEDSHARE LIMITED

PIVOT88 is a Quality and Compliance SaaS platform designed to help clients at all steps of the supply chain.

SpeedShare offers Asian development services to motorsport, automotive, performance & automotive related companies.

Through our business development program, we take our clients from market discovery all the way to office setup in Asia.

Stephane BOIVIN President & CEO

Benjamin GRENON Managing Director

STATRYS

SYNERGY FIBER

Statrys aims to unlock access to banking solutions by offering comprehensive services ranging from multi-currency bank accounts, domestic and international payments, and direct market access to foreign exchange.

Synergy Fiber is an international leader in providing IT solutions and integration for large commercial buildings. The company started business in the United States in 1998 and has since expanded to offices in Hong Kong, India and other Asia-Pacific markets.

Bertrand THÉAUD Founder

Joshy GEORGE Senior Account Manager

TUNING RACING PARTS CO LTD

Philippe LECOQ General Manager

Sylvain TAILLARD Director

Chun Wun LIU Sales Engineer

Evelyne LECOQ HR

HongKongEcho | 57

NewFaces

VISUAL SUSPECT

WEAVE SERVICE LIMITED

Visual Suspect, video production company, is specialised in cinematic commercials, corporate videos and creative viral films.

Weave is a specialist consulting firm with a focus on supply and demand planning.

Yiannis BILIRIS Creative Director

Clemence FAUVEL Senior Consultant

NEW ENTREPRENEUR ADDITIONAL MEMBERS

IN SITU & PARTNERS

SAGIT SOLUTIONS LIMITED

Marie BERTRAM Designer & Marketing Manager

Jeremie LECLERC Managing Director

NEW INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

Alexandre BEELEN Business Analyst

CURRENXIE LIMITED

KEYTEO CONSULTING PTE LTD

Pierre GARNIER Head of Trade Finance | Currenxie | Digital Finance

Clement TRAN Hong Kong Country Manager

NEW YOUNG PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS

Boris BELLANGER

Procurement Director

Erwan BELPAUME

Benjamin BRUSTIS

Senior Executive Consultant

Aude CAMUS

Owner & Managing Editor

Lena DU

Founder

Elodie CHABOT

Brand Ambassador

Alexandre DURAND Sylvie GUESDE

Managing Partner

Olivier SCHAFF Guin SHEKHAR

Liaison Private Equity - Real Estate

Cendrine DE TERWANGNE

Master Graduate in Business Engineering

Hadrien DELLICOUR

Supply Chain Intern

Valentin DENIEUL

Financial Analyst

Simon HAVEN

Market Analyst

Anne-Gaëlle KERVIL

Freight Forwarder

Jennifer LAI

Graduate Trainee

Benjamin LE CROM

Project Engineer

Charlotte LELONG

Registered Foreign Lawyer

Gabriel Michael MICHELSON

Student

Fanny RUBIO Caroline SCHMITT

Intern

Willy VONG Ka Wai YAU

58 | HongKongEcho

Human Resources Assistant

FrenchChamberFoundation

THE FRENCH CHAMBER FOUNDATION: MEET MUI-FA How the French Chamber Foundation helped a family to finally reunite!

Mui-fa’s living situation was greatly improved thanks to the Foundation

Hong Kong born-and-raised Mui-fa lost his

support as well as healthy meals. The social

to meet the government requirements for family

job six years ago as the restaurant he was

workers advised him to join a training session

reunification, allowing his wife to relocate from

working for closed its doors. His advanced

for security guards, as this would be a stable

China to Hong Kong. As a father of three he can

age was a challenge for finding a new job,

kind of job, compatible with his age.

now look ahead to the future with confidence.

and his situation quickly became critical. He

Follow our Facebook page for more success

got the chance to meet the volunteers at the

A few months ago, Mui-fa was eventually hired

Kwun Tong Lunch Club and during this difficult

by an estate in North Point on a full-time basis.

period, they provided him with psychological

The monthly income of HK$12,500 enabled him

stories like this!

How you can help:

2018 Highlights

There are many ways to get involved and help us fight against poverty. Corporates are most welcome to be a part of our actions.

• 44,000+ meals were served to underprivileged people

• Make a donation and become a sponsor • Share your company’s job vacancies and help our beneficiaries find a better job • Meet our beneficiaries and share your knowledge: Your support for the French Chamber Foundation gives your staff the opportunity to be part of an innovative project and actively contribute to enhancing our beneficiaries’ work skills.

• In-kind donations: Help us provide Lunch Club members with daily necessities and alleviate their financial burden with food supplies, business clothes, personal care products and more.

Every weekday, our four clubs of Wan Chai, Mong Kok, Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong serve healthy meals prepared by our sponsor Food Angel to our beneficiaries for HK$8.

• 134 service users found a new job with a higher salary, +26% compared to 2017 Our number one objective. These successful cases are coached members who managed to get a better, more convenient job and an improved salary.

Visit our website at: www.fcf.hk The French Chamber Foundation was established in 2015 as a subsidiary of the French Chamber and is registered in Hong Kong as a charity. It is governed by a Board of Directors, and relies on donations from corporates and individuals, including the funds raised during the French Chamber Gala Dinner, to fund its operations.

HongKongEcho | 59

2019 FINANCE REFORMS IN FRANCE FOR NON-RESIDENTS Capital gains from property sales a. Exemption for sale of the ‘main residence’ LF 2019 provides that from 1-1-2019, a non-resident selling the real estate which was their main residence in France on the date of the transfer of his fiscal address outside of France could be deemed his capital gain completely exempt with the dual condition that: - the sale is made no later than 31 December of the year following that of the transfer of the fiscal address outside of France, and - the main residence has not been made available to a third party between the transfer of residence and the disposal, and this is free or expensive.

Please note that this exemption does not apply to all non-residents but only to those having transferred their fiscal address to a State of the European Union or to a State that has concluded an administrative assistance agreement with France for the purpose of fighting against fraud and tax evasion and a mutual assistance convention on tax collection.

- that the transferor had been a fiscal resident in France for a continuous period of at least 2 years at any time prior to the transfer; and - that the disposal relates to a house of which the transferor has the free disposal at least since 1 January of the year preceding the disposal or, if the condition of free disposal is not respected, that the disposal takes place at the latest 31 December of the 5th year following the transfer of fiscal address outside of France. LF 2019 extends this last period from 5 to 10 years.

60 | HongKongEcho

Social security contributions

From 2018, the minimum tax rate of the income tax is raised from 20% to 30% for the taxable income above €27,519.

The LFSS 2019 provides that those covered by the Social Security Scheme of another State of European Union, the EEA or Switzerland are henceforth exempt from the CSG (General Social Contribution) and the CRDS (Contribution for the Repayment of Social Debt) on their property income and capital gains on real estate assets of French sources but they are liable for a solidarity levy at the rate of 7.5%.

On the other hand, taxpayers can still claim, if it is lower, the application of an average tax rate that would result from the income tax of global income in France.

Residents of third States outside of the European Union, the EEA or Switzerland are not concerned and remain liable for Social Security Contributions at an overall rate of 17.2%.

From 2020, the income tax of the withholding tax applicable on salaries

Article written in January 2019

Taxation of French-source income

Banque Transatlantique: (i) is a bank incorporated and licensed in France, regulated by the European Central Bank and Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution; and (ii) is not registered in Hong Kong nor regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.

b. Partial specific exemption for nonresidents This exemption, limited to a capital gain of €150,000, is applicable to nonresidents who are citizens of a Member State of the European Union or the EEA (European Economic Area), subject to the following conditions:

and assimilated income from French sources to non-fiscal residents will no longer be calculated on the basis of scale of the three progressive tax rate (0%, 12%, 20%) but on the basis of the withholding tax rate from the income tax. It will no longer be free and will be charged in full on the tax due.

Hervé Guinebert International Private Banking Department, Director, Hong Kong Representative Office

Banque Transatlantique has been providing dedicated services to French expatriates for over a century. The Bank has dedicated significant resources

to

support

these

international

T: +852 2106 0391

M: +852 9380 8917

customers over time, and is the preferred partner

E: bthongkong@banquetransatlantique.com

of French professionals living abroad.

Website: https://expatries.banquetransatlantique.com

HongKongEcho | 61

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