M+ and Chanel form 3-year partnership to enhance moving image programmes

M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong, and Chanel have agreed on a three-year partnership to support a lead curatorial position "Chanel Lead Curator, Moving Image" to enhance M+’s moving image programmes.

The partnership, which starts in July this year, marks Chanel’s first-ever partnership with a cultural institution in Hong Kong and signifies the brand's commitment to supporting local cultural institutions with global impact. It also demonstrates both parties’ commitment to empower creative and critical thinking, contributing to the development of moving image in Asia and beyond.

As M+’s major partner, Chanel will perform a patronage of the position of "Chanel Lead Curator, Moving Image", a role currently taken by Silke Schmickl. Schmickl leads the development of M+’s moving image collection, commissions, and film and curatorial programmes, and oversees the activities of the museum’s Moving Image Centre.

Chanel’s support also covers selected M+ cinema programmes in the coming three years, including "Rediscoveries", a recurring series featuring forgotten gems and restored classics, and "Afterimage", showcasing works by some of today’s most important video artists and experimental filmmakers.

In addition, the partnership will help realise two new endeavours, "M+ Restore" and the Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library. "M+ Restored" is a new film restoration programme to preserve Hong Kong’s rich cinematic heritage while the library is an extensive research and collection-building initiative to acknowledge and celebrate generations of Asia’s pioneering film artists. 

All partnership programmes will have dialogues and conversations such as guest lectures, masterclasses and workshops to encourage interest and understanding of film culture and inspire the future generation of artists. Students and the public will have complimentary tickets for selected screenings.

Commenting on the partnership, Yana Peel, global head of arts and culture, Chanel, said, ‘We are honoured to partner with M+ on their pioneering curation and preservation of moving image to inspire creativity, foster new ways of thinking, and celebrate Hong Kong cinema. Through Chanel’s long-standing cultural commitment and our major new partnership with M+, we hope to create opportunities for an emerging generation of moving image artists from Hong Kong and the region to imagine the next.’

Meanwhile, Suhanya Raffel, museum director of M+, said, “We are delighted that Chanel, renowned for its influence over the global spheres of creation and visual culture, shares a united vision with M+ to preserve film culture and nurture moving image practices, and more importantly, support arts and cultural innovators to advance new ideas and greater representation. Chanel’s generous support is instrumental in pushing the boundaries of M+’s curatorial endeavours in moving image and promoting the vitality of our rich film heritage to the global audience.”

Schmickl said: “We are immensely grateful for Chanel’s support towards our multifaceted and pioneering moving image activities. The partnership allows us to kick off two important initiatives to research and preserve the work of some of Asia’s most significant film artists, and present them within pertinent contemporary curatorial frameworks of international moving image culture.”

Related articles:
csl and M+ Museum spread love with AR display of Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin sculptures
MTR teams up with M+ Museum to present Yayoi Kusama–themed train
HSBC becomes M+ first major sponsor