M+ museum’s new exhibition explores emotional depths of Chinese contemporary art

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M+, Asia’s premier hub for contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, opened its latest exhibition, M+ Sigg Collection: Inner Worlds, on August 22, in the Sigg Galleries. 

This third installment of the M+ Sigg Collection invites the public to explore Chinese contemporary art through the lens of artists’ emotional responses to a rapidly changing society.

Following the success of M+ Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation (2021–2023) and M+ Sigg Collection: Another Story (2023–2025), this exhibition draws from the world’s most comprehensive collection of Chinese contemporary art, featuring over 1,500 works spanning 1972 to 2012. 

The new showcase focuses on the period from the mid-1990s to the 2010s, a time of China’s swift globalization and economic growth that transformed societal values and individual lives. During this era, Chinese artists gained prominence in global exhibitions, contributing to international art dialogues.

Inner Worlds highlights thirty-eight artists, including Chen Guangwu, Duan Jianyu, Fang Lijun, Liu Ye, and Yue Minjun, whose works are organized by the emotions they evoke: joy, sadness, calm, anxiety, doubt, and wonder. 

The exhibition explores how artists used unconventional techniques to reimagine traditional Chinese elements like brush painting and xuan paper, bridging past and present to express personal emotions. 

Some works create fantastical realms, blending imagination with reality to evoke wonder, while others transform societal anxieties into creative expressions. 

Melancholic pieces reveal beauty in sadness through subtle forms, and vibrant artworks question consumer culture’s impact on identity. 

Artists also use humor to challenge power structures, while introspective pieces depict serene inner landscapes.

Co-curated by Dr. Wu Mo, Sigg Curator, and Dr. Uli Sigg, with support from Associate Curator Ariadne Long, the exhibition emphasizes the emotional and intellectual depth of Chinese contemporary art. 

It offers fresh perspectives on a transformative period in China’s history, showcasing a range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art.

Visitors can access Inner Worlds and other M+ galleries, including Canton Modern: Art and Visual Culture, 1900s–1970s, with a single ticket priced at HK$190 for adults and HK$100 for concessions, such as students and seniors. 

Family combo tickets are available for HK$250 (one adult, one child) or HK$400 (two adults, one child). Tickets can be purchased online through the M+ and West Kowloon websites, WestK App, Cityline, Fliggy, Klook, KKday, Trip.com, or China Travel Service (Hong Kong). For more details, visit the M+ website.