Jockey Club supports pioneering “Picasso for Asia—A Conversation” exhibition to launch French May Arts Festival

2025-03-13 22:08 Last Updated At：22:59

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is delighted to support the French May Arts Festival for the 14th straight year, with the Club’s Charities Trust serving as Major Partner once again.This year’s festival will run from March to July and feature a wide range of arts programmes and educational initiatives. The festival’s opening programme, and a key highlight, is The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation exhibition. It will be on view from 15 March to 13 July at M+ West Gallery and is co-organised by M+ and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, with the Club serving as title sponsor. It’s among celebratory activities to mark the Club’s 140th anniversary.

The exhibition’s opening ceremony was held at M+ West Gallery today (13 March).Attending officials included HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law; Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth; Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Christile Drulhe; Chairman of the Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Henry Tang; Chairman of the M+ Board Bernard Chan; Chief Executive Officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Betty Fung; Museum Director of M+ Suhanya Raffel; President of the Musée national Picasso-Paris Cécile Debray; and Co chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival Mignonne Cheng and Pansy Ho.

Sports and Culture is one of the priority funding areas for the Club’s Charities Trust.Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth remarked that the Club is dedicated to fostering arts and cultural development in Hong Kong. This aligns with the Central Government’s vision of developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The Club is supporting the festival’s arts education programmes as part of its commitment to make the arts accessible to all, thereby enriching local cultural development.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation is the first major exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s work in Hong Kong for more than a decade. It showcases over 60 masterpieces by the Spanish artist from the Musée national Picasso-Paris alongside around 130 pieces by contemporary Asian and Asian-diasporic artists from the M+ Collections. It’s the first time masterpieces from the Musée national Picasso-Paris are shown in dialogue with a museum collection in Asia.

The Club’s Charities Trust is supporting other programmes at the French May Arts Festival under its theme of “Vive L’art” including French Rendezvous@Tai Kwun. The world renowned French troupe Remue Ménage will present a street parade entitled Le Bal at Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground that marries visual arts, circus, dance and puppetry art. For the duration of Remue Ménage’s stay, a series of workshops will be held for local artists,parents and their children together with an artist-in-residence programme to promote cultural exchange and collaboration between French and local performers.

Jockey Club exclusively supports exhibition showcasing over 130 sets of treasures from Qin and Han dynasties

2025-04-15 21:13 Last Updated At：22:40

Solely sponsored by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Great Unity - Civilisation of the Qin and Han Dynasties in Shaanxi Province” exhibition will be held at the Hong Kong Museum of History from tomorrow until 7 July 2025. Featuring over 130 pieces and sets of priceless artifacts, the exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to explore the robust development and unique culture of China during the Qin and Han periods. The exhibition is also one of the activities being held in celebration of the Club’s 140th anniversary.

The opening ceremony was held today (15 April) with officiating guests including Chan Kwok-ki, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government; Qi Bin, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Qian Jikui, Deputy Director of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration; Martin Liao, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; Raistlin Lau, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the HKSAR Government; Professor Douglas So, Chairman of Museum Advisory Committee; and Manda Chan, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services.

Martin Liao, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, said: “The Club has actively supported the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in organising exhibitions under The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series, enhancing our city’s cultural vibrancy while also attracting visitors from around the world to explore exhibitions steeped in Chinese culture, elevating their artistic and cultural experience. Through a variety of arts and cultural activities, we aim to promote outstanding Chinese culture and develop Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan.”

Following on from “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Ancient Civilisation of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties in Henan Province”, this new exhibition is the second programme of the General History of China Series, co-presented by the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Chinese Culture Promotion Office. The meticulously curated artifacts include figures from the iconic terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shihuang, warrior and animal figurines belonging to the Emperor Jing of Han, chariot components and architectural items. Together, these artefacts highlight the political, economic, cultural, technological and cross-border developments during the Qin and Han dynasties – presenting the vibrant charm of the unified dynasties. Showcasing over 20 sets of archeological finds from Hong Kong, the exhibition also sheds light on the region’s historical development during the period, offering a deeper perspective on the connection between the seat of power and Hong Kong.

In addition to presenting precious relics, the exhibition incorporates multimedia elements through education programmes to provide visitors with a more engaging experience.Visitors can explore the attire and designs of the terracotta warriors, understand Chinese characters of the Qin and Han eras and the design of architectural components, decode Lingnan boat patterns, and measure themselves in standardised Qin and Han units. An interactive education zone features vibrant displays, animations and interactive games that vividly portray the development of the Lingnan region during the Qin and Han dynasties.The exhibition will also include a series of educational and outreach activities to provide the public with a comprehensive understanding of its core themes.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series is the result of a partnership between the Club and the LCSD. Launched in 2012, this series has brought world-class exhibitions to Hong Kong, enabling visitors to appreciate masterpieces from different places, times and cultures. The exhibitions are complemented by various education and outreach activities. Recent exhibitions include “Fragrance of Time — In Search of Chinese Art of Scent”, and “Cézanne and Renoir Looking at the World — Masterpieces from the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay” which is currently underway at the Hong Kong Museum of Art.