M+ and MoMA Forge Groundbreaking Global Art Partnership

In a landmark move for the global art community, Hong Kong's M+ museum and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate across six key areas, marking MoMA's first comprehensive partnership with an Asian institution.

This partnership signifies a major step in fostering international collaboration between Western and Asian cultural institutions. By combining resources and expertise, M+ and MoMA aim to enhance the global reach and impact of contemporary visual culture. The collaboration is expected to lead to more diverse and inclusive exhibitions, offering audiences a broader perspective on modern and contemporary art.

Background:

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture, located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District. 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 museum building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, spans 65,000 square meters and features thirty-three galleries, a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden. A highlight of its collection is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most extensive collections of Chinese contemporary art.

Founded in 1929, the Museum of Modern Art in New York is one of the world's leading museums of modern and contemporary art. Located in Midtown Manhattan, MoMA houses approximately 200,000 works spanning 150 years, including masterpieces such as Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" and Pablo Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon." MoMA is recognized for its dynamic collection that reflects the vitality and complexity of modern and contemporary art.

Details of the Memorandum of Understanding:

The MOU between M+ and MoMA outlines collaboration in six key areas:

1. Joint Curatorial Research and Exchange: Both institutions will engage in collaborative research projects and share curatorial expertise.

2. Conservation and Collection Management: The partnership will focus on best practices in the acquisition, preservation, care, display, and access to artworks.

3. Artwork Loans: Facilitating the exchange of artworks between the two museums to enrich their respective exhibitions.

4. Sharing Sustainability Practices: Collaborating on sustainable practices within museum operations.

5. Training and Professional Development: Providing opportunities for staff development and knowledge sharing.

6. Exhibition and Program Exchange: Co-organizing exhibitions and programs to reach broader audiences.

Quotes:

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director of M+, expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, "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."

Glenn D. Lowry, The David Rockefeller Director of MoMA, remarked, "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."

Implications:

• Bridging East and West: This partnership serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western art worlds, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation.

• Sustainability in Museums: The collaboration emphasizes the role of sustainable practices in modern museums and aims to address environmental concerns within the art world.

• Professional Development in the Arts: Highlighting the importance of training and professional development in museum operations, this partnership seeks to enhance the skills and knowledge of museum professionals globally.

Conclusion:

This comprehensive collaboration between M+ and MoMA sets a precedent for future partnerships between cultural institutions worldwide, emphasizing the value of shared knowledge, resources, and cultural exchange in the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary art.