On Sunday, 24 March 2024, the Sharjah Art Foundation and M+ entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the Hong Kong International Cultural Summit, hosted by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA).
M+ stands as Asia’s premier global museum of contemporary visual culture, operating under the auspices of the WKCDA in Hong Kong. With a vision to establish Hong Kong as a leading international arts and cultural hub, M+ is committed to fostering global East-meets-West cultural exchanges.
The MOU between Sharjah Art Foundation and M+ solidifies a long-term partnership, marking one of the many MOUs signed between WKCDA and 21 esteemed arts and cultural institutions worldwide. The agreement was signed by Sheikha Nawar Al Qassimi, Vice President of Sharjah Art Foundation, and Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director of M+.
In a statement, Sheikha Nawar Al Qassimi expressed excitement about the collaboration, highlighting the importance of the MOU in shaping future artistic endeavours. She also mentioned the ongoing exhibition at M+, “The Peacock’s Graveyard” by Amar Kanwar, commissioned jointly by Sharjah Art Foundation and M+, as an example of the fruitful partnership.
“The Peacock’s Graveyard” is a multi-screen installation exploring themes of death, nature, and contemporary societal issues. Premiering at Sharjah Biennial 15 in 2023, the work is currently on display at M+ as part of the “Shanshui: Echoes and Signals” exhibition.
The Hong Kong International Cultural Summit also saw M+ signing MOUs with other renowned institutions, including Centre Pompidou, Musée National Picasso-Paris, The National Art Center Tokyo, Leeum Museum of Art, Qatar Museums Authority, and Tate. Collaborations also extended to conservation efforts with the Getty Conservation Institute and partnerships with film archives like the Asian Film Archive and Thailand Film Archive.
As part of the 2024 Hong Kong Art Week, the Sharjah Art Foundation is actively participating in various events, reaffirming its commitment to contemporary art. Two notable talks include “Curating as Collaborative Practice: Presenting South-East Asia and beyond in the context of Middle East” on 28 March and “How to Build a Biennial Together” on 29 March.
These events feature prominent speakers such as Alia Swastika and Amal Khalaf, co-curators of Sharjah Biennial 16, discussing the importance of collaboration in curating and the evolving relationship between artists and curators in biennial exhibitions.
The MOU between the Sharjah Art Foundation and M+ signifies a significant milestone in fostering international cultural exchange and collaboration in the arts.