
EVENT DESCRIPTION
M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, is delighted to unveil a new M+ Facade commission Night Charades (2025) by Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen. Co-commissioned by M+ and Art Basel, and presented by UBS, this AI-generated animation pays tribute to the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, featuring iconic scenes in a futuristic and theatrical style. The work will be shown on the M+ Facade every night from Saturday, 22 March to Sunday, 29 June 2025. This marks the fourth year M+ has collaborated with Art Basel, supported by UBS, to activate the M+ Facade.
Night Charades features animated characters performing a series of mimes inspired by iconic scenes from Hong Kong cinema. The charade players re-enact roles originally performed by legendary stars like Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Stephen Chow, Chow Yun-fat, Brigitte Lin, and Anita Mui. The scenes remix the chivalric choreography of John Woo films, the hyper-aestheticized romanticism of Wong Kar-wai, the boundless imagination of Tsui Hark, and the fearless farce of Wong Jing, among other distinctive styles. The human and non-human characters are shown in striking, theatrical lighting reminiscent of Baroque paintings and glossy advertising.
Night Charades imagines the Hong Kong’s rich cinematic legacy as a futuristic simulation. Dressed in luminous stripes, extravagant pleats, and sculptural folds, the charade players navigate a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere that is both ambiguous and enigmatic. The shots may seem familiar to audiences who have seen the original films, and to uninitiated audiences they offer a captivating spectacle. Constantly reshuffled by an algorithm to create new combinations of characters and scenes, the work is a non-linear reinterpretation of the city’s film legacy, highlighting its porosity, fluidity, and lasting creative vitality.
Details
- Start:
- 22 March - 8:00 am
- End:
- 29 June - 5:00 pm
- Admission:
- Free
- Event Category:
- Digital Art, Multimedia