M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), fostering the first comprehensive collaboration between MoMA and a museum in Asia on such areas as curatorial research and exchange, conservation, programme sharing, and professional development.

The MOU was signed by Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, along with Glenn D. Lowry, The David Rockefeller Director, MoMA, at a ceremony at MoMA in New York on 18 February 2025 (Eastern Time). It represents the beginning of a fruitful partnership between the two esteemed institutions, built on a shared commitment to international collaboration, cultural exchange, and museum development. The MOU covers six areas, including joint curatorial research and exchange; conservation and collection management, from acquisition to preservation, care, display, and access; artwork loans; sharing sustainability practices; training, professional development, as well as knowledge sharing; and exhibition and programme exchange.

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘We are excited to embark on this partnership, which will not only deepen mutual understanding and strengthen our exchange, but also set the stage for collaboration on curatorial affairs, collection development, exhibition research, and museum operations. We value our open and ongoing dialogue and look forward to many joint efforts with MoMA to come. The signing of this MOU affirms M+’s commitment to collaboration with pre-eminent cultural institutions around the world and strengthens M+’s position as Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture.’

Glenn D. Lowry, The David Rockefeller Director, MoMA, says, ‘We are thrilled to partner with M+ on an ambitious new collaboration, to exchange expertise and ideas that will help us take our museums forward in new and exciting directions and create more opportunities for our global audiences to experience and engage with contemporary art and artists.’

About M+

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most extensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)

WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues the Xiqu Centre and Freespace, the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade, and the upcoming WestK Performing Arts Centre.

Hosting over 1,000 exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than ten million visitors each year, evolving as the international cultural brand of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

About The Museum of Modern Art

Founded in 1929 by three progressive women under an educational charter, The Museum of Modern Art connects people from around the world to the art of our time. MoMA aspires to be a catalyst for experimentation, learning, and creativity, a gathering place for all, and a home for artists and their ideas. MoMA realises its mission by establishing, preserving, and documenting a dynamic collection of the highest order that reflects the vitality and complexity of modern and contemporary art; by welcoming millions of people every year to explore its exhibitions and participate in onsite and online programmes; by sustaining a library, archives, and conservation laboratory that are recognised as international centres of research; and by supporting innovative scholarship and publications.