Let’s switch for a moment to contemporary art. From almost any point in the northern part of Hong Kong Island, as you enter the main harbor, you will see the enormous screen of the M+ Museum, which opened in 2021 — the largest institution dedicated to visual culture in Asia.
To summarize my impressions of the design and architecture: it is a quality and modern space, somewhat reminiscent of the Multimedia Art Museum (MAMM) or Garage in Gorky Park, but without revelations. Perhaps due to professional deformation, I feel it lacks the multimedia richness found in the Tolerance Center in Moscow.
Nevertheless, the exhibition can convey a spectrum of emotions from absurd fun in a black room where two Arabs dance on a projector screen, to grotesque realism in an installation depicting the collapse of the USSR with Yeltsin, Clinton, and a children’s slide made of consumer waste.
I was thrilled by an unexpected encounter with a real module of capsule architecture by Kisho Kurokawa. Touching this iconic block in person is priceless.
The museum offers insight into how "contemporary" is understood here, which differs from European notions — sometimes slightly naïve, at times much more corporeal and direct. In fact, the discussion of these differences prompted me to call Anya Sarkisyan. Soon, there will be a big interview with her on the channel.
P. S. If you are interested in the story of Herzog de Meuron, check out the lecture recording at the Architectural Institute.