Institute of Philanthropy champions cultural exchange with “Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West” exhibition

"Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West", exclusively sponsored by the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), has opened in Hong Kong. The exhibition brings together 106 masterpieces and artefacts from The Palace Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Palace of Versailles and the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA). Celebrating the beauty and cultural significance of gardens across the East and West, it features the grand imperial gardens of Emperor Qianlong and King Louis XIV, as well as the artistic visions of Claude Monet, Zhang Daqian and Wen Zhengming. 

The exhibition aims to promote Chinese culture and values, and foster international exchange, while highlighting Hong Kong's unique role as a bridge between Chinese and Western civilisations. Guided tours are available for schools, charitable organisations and non-profit-making organisations.

Ann Kung, Deputy Chairman of IoP and Trustee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, said that the enduring legacy of Chinese garden art echoes the profound cultural heritage of The Palace Museum. Through this dialogue across time and cultures, she hoped more members of the public could experience the beauty of gardens from the East and West, deepen their understanding of China’s history and culture, and carry forward Chinese cultural heritage, thereby enhancing cultural confidence and social cohesion.

The exhibition is an important part of a five-year collaboration under a Memorandum of Co-operation titled “Promotion of Chinese Culture and Arts Tech Talent Development in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong” signed between The Palace Museum and IoP. It aims to foster cultural exchange between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong and to nurture aspiring arts-tech talent.