M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, hosted an opening ceremony tonight for its Special Exhibition The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation, a rich intercultural and intergenerational dialogue between more than sixty masterpieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) from the Musée national Picasso-Paris (MnPP), which holds the largest collection of works by Picasso in the world, and over eighty works by thirty Asian and Asian-diasporic artists from the M+ Collections and select loans from a museum, a foundation, and private collections. The exhibition will be on view in the M+ West Gallery from Saturday, 15 March to Sunday, 13 July 2025.

The opening ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation was officiated by Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Henry Tang, Chairman of the Board, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau and Honorary President of French May Arts Festival ; Cécile Debray, President, Musée national Picasso-Paris nP; Bernard Chan, Chairman of the M+ Board; Betty Fung, Chief Executive Officer, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority; Mignonne Cheng and Pansy Ho, Co-chairmen of the French May Arts Festival; Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+; Nicholas Hunsworth, Steward, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; exhibition co-curators Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+, and François Dareau, Research Fellow, Musée national Picasso-Paris; Veronica Castillo, Director, Collection and Exhibition, M+; Xavier Mahé, Executive Director, French May Arts Festival; and Karena Lam, Ambassador, French May Arts Festival.

Co-organised by M+ and MnPP, this exhibition is a significant milestone in which masterpieces from MnPP are being shown alongside works from a museum collection in Asia for the first time. It is also the first major showcase of Picasso’s works in Hong Kong in over a decade, offering an unprecedented and unique perspective on the artist’s wide-reaching influence and what it means to be an artist in our time.

Bernard Chan, Chairman of the M+ Board, says, ‘This exhibition is the fruit of M+’s global partnership with Musée national Picasso-Paris that features an unprecedented cross-cultural and intergenerational dialogue between the twentieth-century European master Picasso and contemporary Asian artists. As the highlight of WestK Art March, I am thrilled to welcome members of the local, Greater China, and international arts communities to this show. This exhibition not only celebrates contemporary visual culture but also strengthens Hong Kong’s status as a world-class arts and cultural hub, fostering cultural exchange and collaboration.’

Rosanna Law, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, says, ‘The innovative curatorial approach of this exhibition aligns perfectly with the Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development promulgated by my Bureau in November 2024. The Blueprint outlines several important features, including a clear vision of Hong Kong becoming an “East-meets-West Centre” for international cultural exchanges, under which we would like to attract tourists through international arts and cultural exhibitions and performances, thereby promoting the integration of culture, and tourism. High-quality exhibitions such as this will certainly help Hong Kong leap forward towards fulfilling the vision.’

Christile Drulhe, Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau and Honorary President of French May Arts Festival, says, ‘The exhibition Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation, the flagship exhibition of the French May Arts Festival, represents an important milestone in cultural exchange. By featuring over sixty masterpieces by Pablo Picasso alongside works from more than thirty contemporary Asian artists, this groundbreaking collaboration between M+ and the Musée national Picasso-Paris not only highlights Picasso's significant influence on Asian artists but also emphasizes the strong cultural ties between France and Hong Kong. By presenting these artworks together, the exhibition promotes a greater understanding of diverse artistic practices and foster meaningful cultural dialogue.’

Nicholas Hunsworth, Steward, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, says, ‘The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust is proud to continue its long-standing partnership with the French May Arts Festival, having served as Major Partner since 2012. The exhibition is also among activities marking the Club’s 140th anniversary. Sports and Culture is one of the priority areas under the Club’s charities strategy, with the Club dedicated to fostering arts and cultural development in Hong Kong by supporting a diverse range of initiatives. This is in keeping with the Central Government’s vision outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan, which seeks to develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. The Club’s support for the French May Arts Festival, like all of its charity donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.’

Pansy Ho, Co-chairman, French May Arts Festival, says, ‘Our journey with Picasso and our esteemed partner, the Musée national Picasso-Paris, began in 2012 when we co-presented a comprehensive exhibition of his works at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Now, thirteen years later, we are honoured to revisit Picasso’s legacy through an innovative dialogue between his masterpieces and works by contemporary Asian artists, creating a dynamic East-West conversation at the world-class venue of M+. Since 1993, French May has served as a vital bridge between Hong Kong, Macau, and France, fostering cultural exchange through diverse and vibrant programmes. From now until July, in the spirit of Vive L’art – In Art We Live, we are delighted to bring the best of French arts, cinema, music, dance, theatre, and gastronomy to our local and international audiences with over sixty programmes, alongside community outreach and arts education initiatives, ensuring French arts and culture are accessible to all across Hong Kong.’

Cécile Debray, President, Musée national Picasso-Paris, says, ‘Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous artists in modern art history. Offering a circular look at his legacy, examined from a contemporary Asian perspective decentred from the Western point of view, this exhibition is an unprecedented proposal. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation is borne of an innovative and inclusive partnership with M+ based on a genuine exchange of knowledge, skills, and expertise. The groundbreaking exhibition echoes the collaboration between MnPP and M+ and proposes a new methodology and a bold narrative, serving as a wonderful way to continue our work of expanding Picasso’s audience and questioning his reception and artistic legacy.’

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘We are excited to partner with MnPP for this pioneering exhibition examining Pablo Picasso’s remarkable body of work. The exhibition demonstrates how cross-cultural collaboration can create new narratives and perspectives that enrich discussions in world art history, highlighting M+’s distinctive role in promoting multifaceted dialogues around modern and contemporary visual culture. We share with MnPP the intention and desire to build an intellectually daring conversation across times, places, and cultures, built on scholarly research.

Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+ and exhibition co-curator, says, ‘The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation examines the enduring legacy of Pablo Picasso, whose work continues to captivate global audiences more than fifty years after his death. We present a rich and critical dialogue with great resonance for both institutions, and for world art history, as the exhibition delves into deeply pertinent questions relevant not only to Asia and the West but to the world. It is a cross-cultural and artistic conversation highlighting Picasso’s enduring influence and relevance in contexts far from the places where he lived and the cultures and politics that shaped his work. The exhibition understands influence and relevance in complex ways that can be also productively critical.’

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation is co-presented by M+ and French May Arts Festival as the opening programme of the French May Arts Festival 2025. It is generously supported by the Title Sponsor, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust; the Major Sponsors, HSBC, Cathay, C C Land, and Chubb Life; supported by 1O1O, and The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, and financially supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Co-curated by Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+, and François Dareau, Research Fellow, Musée national Picasso-Paris, supported by Hester Chan, Curator, Collections, M+, the exhibition poses an interpretative framework for examining the works of the twentieth-century European master in relation to contemporary Asian and Asian-diasporic artists active today and in the recent past. This Special Exhibition introduces four artist archetypes that encapsulate why Picasso is considered the quintessential twentieth-century artist and how the legacy of his art and life continues to influence contemporary artists as well as the public to this day. The four archetypes also serve as the sections of the exhibition and as powerful paradigms to which the contemporary Asian artists in the exhibition respond in their diverse, individualistic practices.

Ticketing arrangements

Tickets to the Special Exhibition The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation are available for online purchase via the M+ website, WestK website, WestK App, Cityline, China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited, Fliggy, Klook, KKday, and Trip.com. Tickets are HKD 240 for adults and HKD 120 for visitors eligible for concessions*. Visitors with Special Exhibition tickets can also access the Special Exhibition Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination and all M+ General Admission exhibitions starting from Saturday, 15 March 2025. Kid and Adult Combo Tickets are also available for this exhibition at HKD 300 for one adult and one child, or HKD 480 for two adults and one child. For more information on ticketing arrangements, please visit the M+ website.

*Concession tickets are available for full-time students, children ages 7 to 11, senior citizens ages 60 and above, persons with disabilities and one companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients. ­­

M+ Membership

M+’s annual membership and patron membership offer an exclusive experience of contemporary visual culture for people of all ages and backgrounds. All M+ Members with valid memberships can enjoy three free admission vouchers to Special Exhibitions throughout the membership year, including The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation and Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination. Meanwhile, M+ Patrons can enjoy unlimited free admission to all exhibitions with up to three guests per visit. M+ Members and Patrons can also enjoy exclusive previews to Special Exhibitions prior to public opening and thirty to fifty per cent discounts on Special Exhibition tickets. Other membership benefits include unlimited free access to General Admission exhibitions, exclusive access to the M+ Lounge with accompanying guests, M+ Private Viewing, invitation to exclusive events, as well as dining and retail discounts. For more information, please visit the M+ website.