An unprecedented exhibition, Picasso for Asia: A Conversation, at Hong Kong’s M+ museum brings together works by Pablo Picasso and Asian artists, creating a cross-cultural dialogue that reinterprets the Spanish master’s legacy.
A groundbreaking exhibition at the M+ museum explores the artistic connections between Pablo Picasso and Asian creators, offering a fresh perspective on the Spanish master’s legacy. By showcasing his works alongside those of contemporary and modern Asian artists, the exhibition fosters unexpected dialogues that transcend cultural and geographical boundaries.
More than half a century after Picasso's passing, interest in his life and work remains strong, including in Asia, says Doryun Chong, chief curator of M+. The exhibition, Picasso for Asia: A Conversation, features around sixty of Picasso’s works—such as Portrait of a Man and a preparatory sketch of the horse’s head for Guernica—on loan from the Musée Picasso in Paris. These pieces are displayed alongside 130 works by Asian artists, fostering unexpected connections.
One striking juxtaposition is Picasso’s famed depiction of the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur, drawn in intertwining lines, placed next to Gunpowder Drawing by Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang. "Picasso exhibitions tend to be very monographic," explains Chong. "We believed that to truly understand him, we needed to create new juxtapositions and dialogues."
Cécile Debray, president of the Musée Picasso in Paris, praises the exhibition’s approach for shifting the perspective away from a Western-centric view. The last major Picasso exhibition in Hong Kong, held in 2012, drew massive crowds. However, in the years that followed, the artist's image was challenged by the #MeToo movement, which highlighted his troubled relationships with women. "We acknowledge the more troubling aspects of his biography and remain transparent about them, but they should not overshadow the entirety of his career," says Chong.
Authorities hope the exhibition will help attract international visitors again, after Hong Kong’s reputation suffered due to political unrest and pandemic-related restrictions. Since opening in late 2021, M+ has welcomed over eight million visitors, breathing new life into the West Kowloon Cultural District.
With AFP
Comments