M+ and MoMA Forge Landmark International Art Collaboration

On February 18, 2025, Hong Kong's M+ museum and New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at a ceremony held at MoMA. This agreement marks the first comprehensive collaboration between MoMA and an Asian museum, encompassing six key areas:

• Joint curatorial research and exchange
• Conservation and collection management
• Artwork loans
• Sharing sustainability practices
• Training and professional development
• Exhibition and program exchange

The partnership aims to foster international collaboration, cultural exchange, and mutual development between the two institutions. M+ Director Suhanya Raffel and MoMA Director Glenn D. Lowry emphasized the significance of this alliance in enhancing global engagement with contemporary art and artists.

M+, located in Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, is Asia's global museum of contemporary visual culture. 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's landmark 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 M+'s collection is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world's most extensive collections of Chinese contemporary art.

MoMA, founded in 1929, is one of the world's most influential museums of modern and contemporary art. Located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, it 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."

This collaboration is particularly noteworthy given the current geopolitical climate, as it underscores the role of cultural institutions in bridging international relations. The partnership represents a commitment to international collaboration and cultural exchange, aiming to enhance global engagement with contemporary art and artists.

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."

In addition to the MOU, M+ announced a special exhibition showcasing more than 200 works by renowned Chinese-French abstract painter Zao Wou-Ki, scheduled to run from December 13, 2025, to April 2026. This exhibition will be Asia's first major retrospective of Zao's graphic works, featuring items from M+'s collection, including prints, illustrated books, paintings, works on paper, and documentary materials.

This partnership between M+ and MoMA signifies a landmark moment in the art world, highlighting the power of cultural exchange in building bridges between diverse communities.