M+ and Art Basel to display hand-painted animation '3 to 12 Nautical Miles' on museum facade

M+ will present 3 to 12 Nautical Miles, a radiant cinematic tableau work by Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander, on its iconic facade starting March 23.

Co-commissioned by M+ and Art Basel, the work — animated from hand-painted images — explores the enduring currents of power and trade that shaped the global landscape from the 19th century to the modern era.

The work will be displayed on the M+ Facade from March 23 through June 21, marking the fifth consecutive year of collaboration between M+ and Art Basel in activating the M+ Facade.

Sikander traces the entangled histories of empire, trade, and maritime power connecting the British East India Company, Mughal India, and Qing China. The animation charts the decline of Mughal authority under Akbar II, the internal strains of the Qing dynasty, and the East India Company’s transformation from commercial venture to territorial power.

The work examines Britain’s opium cultivation in India, its coercive trade with China, and the First Opium War, exposing mechanisms of imperial extraction and power asymmetries between Britain and China at the time.

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Displayed on the M+ Facade, the animation magnifies painted gestures, objects, and symbols showing how authority was constructed, distributed, and contested—from Indian fields and ports to Chinese treaty cities and British naval power. The work also examines how authority remains vulnerable in places like the sea, where boundaries are never fully fixed.

“As we mark our fifth year of collaboration with Art Basel and UBS, we are thrilled to showcase a work on the M+ Facade that thoughtfully explores the interplay between empire, power, and trade within a transnational, historical context,” said Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director of M+. “Shahzia Sikander’s practice, rooted in Central and South Asian miniature painting, offers a distinctive perspective on past and present globalization through art.”

Raffel added that the commission reaffirms M+’s commitment to innovative moving image practices and highlights diverse trajectories of Asian artists.

Angelle Siyang-Le, Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, said the partnership with M+ and UBS embodies the organization’s goal of connecting private and public sectors. “Seeing Shahzia Sikander’s work transform the M+ Facade and engage contemporary art with civic space is incredibly rewarding,” she said. “It invites audiences to pause and reflect on urgent global themes in an increasingly interconnected world.”

Sikander will present a free illustrated lecture about her art practice on March 26 in the M+ Cinema. As part of Art Basel Hong Kong's Premiere Artist Talk, she will also discuss her perspective on power, trade, and global exchange in a conversation with Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator of M+.

Free drop-in screenings of Sikander’s earlier animations from the past two decades will run March 24-29 in the M+ Cinema, offering audiences insight into the development of her moving image practice.

Limited-edition T-shirts in two designs featuring images from the work will be available at M+ and Art Basel shops, both physical and online.