Chanel and M+ Museum Partner to Propel Moving Image Art in Asia

In an unparalleled move, Chanel and M+, Asia’s pioneering museum of contemporary visual culture, have announced a three-year partnership. This collaboration establishes Chanel’s inaugural alliance with a Hong Kong cultural institution, underscoring the brand’s dedication to nurturing local cultural establishments of global reach.

The partnership, commencing in July, will bolster M+’s moving image programmes through the support of a key curatorial role: the “Chanel Lead Curator, Moving Image.” This position, currently held by Silke Schmickl, spearheads the growth of M+’s moving image collection, commissions, and film and curatorial programmes, while also directing the museum’s Moving Image Centre activities.

Chanel’s patronage further extends to specific M+ cinema programmes over the upcoming three years. This includes “Rediscoveries”, a series that brings to light overlooked masterpieces and revived classics, and “Afterimage”, a display of works from today’s foremost video artists and experimental film makers.

Furthermore, the partnership will bring two novel initiatives to life: “M+ Restored” and the Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library. The former is a film restoration programme aimed at safeguarding Hong Kong’s rich cinematic legacy, while the latter is a comprehensive research and collection-building project designed to honour generations of Asia’s trailblazing film artists.

The alliance will also facilitate dialogues and events, such as guest lectures, masterclasses, and workshops, to promote interest and comprehension of film culture and inspire the next generation of artists.

Complimentary tickets for selected screenings will be offered to students and the public. Chanel’s global head of arts and culture, Yana Peel, expressed her honour in collaborating with M+ on their pioneering curation and preservation of moving images.

She emphasised Chanel’s cultural commitment and the desire to create opportunities for emerging artists from Hong Kong and beyond. Suhanya Raffel, museum director of M+, echoed these sentiments, praising Chanel’s generous support in propelling M+’s curatorial endeavours in moving image and promoting the vitality of their rich film heritage to the global audience.

Silke Schmickl expressed immense gratitude for Chanel’s backing, highlighting how the partnership will kickstart important initiatives to research, preserve, and present the work of some of Asia’s most significant film artists within a relevant contemporary curatorial framework of international moving image culture.