The atrium of the Landmark is the temporary home of an art exhibition featuring 30 works that are finalists in this year's Sovereign Asian Art Prize. The display is being sponsored by Louis Vuitton, which threw a cocktail reception for the Asian works, one of which will win the grand prize of US$25,000. Each work will then be available in a write-in auction, with the money going to charity. The Louis Vuitton cache ensured the town's well-dressed and well-heeled dropped by to have a look. The foundation was set up by barrister Howard Bilton in Hong Kong in 2003 to support artists in the region and the eclectic range of the canvases is fascinating. However, it was nearly overshadowed by the strange but creative canapes served at the reception. With chocolate creations made to look like oysters (pictured), mini-waffles that look like a painted-dripped easel, bite-sized potato hors d'oeuvres that resembled rock pebbles and green tea-tinged sponge cake disguised as bushes on a bonsai tree, it amused some and drew questioning looks from others at the affair, for which the Mandarin Oriental Hotel did the catering. It was said to have cost HK$200,000.
