Bringing Botticelli to Hong Kong in times of Covid-19 – how Amanda Cheung is working to make the world’s largest Uffizi exhibition outside of Florence accessible to everyone
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ‘Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi’ exhibition is showcasing Italian Renaissance masterworks at the Hong Kong Museum of Art until February 24, 2021
With the world brought to a grinding halt this year, it has been difficult to plan and think ahead. It was especially a challenge for Hong Kong’s Amanda Cheung, whose work centres on reaching out to the community and bringing people together. As managing director of the First Initiative Foundation (FIF), Cheung had plenty of hurdles to overcome, including working as a community partner on a special collaboration involving Italy, a country hit hard by Covid-19.
The First Initiative Foundation, an educational community outreach organisation launched in the hope of bringing art to the community, is, together with the Hong Kong Museum of Art, working as a community partner to make one of most ambitious projects to come to Hong Kong accessible to everyone in the city. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: ‘Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi’ exhibition brings to town more than 40 Renaissance artworks from the iconic Uffizi Galleries in Florence – including many pieces from the Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli. FIF has also launched a number of art-centric programs to coincide with this four-month exhibition.
I have found that flexibility and a ‘can-do’ attitude are very important
Opened in late October, the ongoing The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: “Botticelli and His Times – Masterworks from the Uffizi” exhibition will be open to the public until February 24, 2021, at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
The foundation that her mother, Michelle Ong-Cheung, founded a decade ago has shed light on community outreach in the realm of the arts, which continues to be a key pillar in the foundation’s work. The FIF’s role as a community partner for this exhibition aims to do the same.
“I am thrilled to lead this fantastic charitable project to showcase Hong Kong’s creative talents, and to create experiences to make museums and the arts more approachable and accessible for the community here,” she says.
Unsurprisingly, Cheung has been part of the foundation since day one. “I’ve been involved in [my mother’s] charity initiatives since the beginning, mostly with design work or as an event helper during my school holidays. I took on a much more active role after I relocated back to Hong Kong three years ago.
“Currently, I am volunteering my time and am highly engaged in the daily operations while responsible also for creating project ideas and managing the team.”
Despite being immersed in the day-to-day operations of the foundation, Cheung is also involved in several F&B projects, which spreads her out rather thinly, but juggling the two full-time engagements is something she embraces.