Message from The Honourable Pennelope Beckles,
Minister of Culture & Tourism for the
Republic of Trinidad & Tobago.

“The importance of sculpture is the importance not of the object but of the object in space - and enabling the person to become the imagining player in the drama of the work rather than a passive viewer of the pictorial narratives of an authoritative other.”

- Mel Gooding
Art Critic

The above quotation is a fitting statement with which to introduce the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the sculpture “The Bassman” to readers of this publication.


Minister of Culture & Tourism
Trinidad and Tobago, the most southerly islands in the Caribbean Sea approximately seven miles off the Venezuelan coast, is the home of the steelpan. Evolved from skin drums, tamboo bamboo (hollowed out lengths of bamboo used as percussion instruments), pots and pans, biscuit tins and garbage pails, the steelpan is the national musical instrument of Trinidad and Tobago and the only musical instrument invented in the 20th century.

The government and the people of Trinidad and Tobago are therefore very proud that a sculpture depicting the very exciting and versatile bass steelpan player will be on permanent display at the largest park in the world, the Changchun World Sculpture Park.

Sculpture, like other forms of artistic expression, speaks to mankind’s sensibilities. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago, therefore, did not hesitate to assist Mrs. Hetty de Gannes, one of our outstanding visual artists, to participate in The China Changchun International Sculpture Symposium and Conference 2003.

We recognise the value and role of the arts and culture in nation building, in fostering personal growth and in the forging of a national identity. We are committed to supporting artists in their endeavours and to the development of the necessary support infrastructure, whether of a legislative, physical or human resources nature, for the promotion of the arts and culture sector.

On behalf of the government of Trinidad and Tobago, I would especially like to congratulate Mrs. Hetty de Gannes on her very outstanding work “The Bassman”. This is an exceptional piece of artwork. It is indeed a great honour for the work of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s citizens to be chosen out of a total of 1,339 proposals from 79 different countries.

It is our hope that “The Bassman” will speak to users of the park of “the sweet sounds of the steelpan, the dynamism and vibrancy of the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the high quality of art we produce”.

Thank you for allowing Mrs. Hetty de Gannes and her country, Trinidad and Tobago, the opportunity to showcase ourselves on an international stage such as Changchun World Sculpture Park.