Madame Song:
Pioneering Art and Fashion in China
Madame Song:
Pioneering Art and Fashion in China
14 Apr 2024
Ticket Information
Standard: HKD 140
Concessions*: HKD 70
M+ Members: HKD 98
M+ Patrons' Guests: HKD 70
Meet the icon who transformed the landscape of arts, fashion, and popular culture in China from the 1980s to 2000s.
Song Huai-Kuei (1937–2006), widely known during her lifetime as Madame Song, was a legend in the spheres of Chinese art, film, music, and fashion during the 1980s and 1990s. With her husband, Bulgarian fibre artist Maryn Varbanov (1932–1989), Song helped foster a forward-looking creative scene and cultivated a modern, international lifestyle in China at a time when the country was largely isolated from the rest of the world for much of the Cold War.
This Special Exhibition brings to light Madame Song’s fascinating multiple identities and professional pursuits. It chronicles her life and practice from the 1950s to the early 2000s and unveils Song’s thus-far overlooked and underestimated influence on China's transformation into the cosmopolitan and culturally diverse society it is today.
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Garments: Pierre Cardin Archives. Photo: Lok Cheng, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Garments: Pierre Cardin Archives. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Lok Cheng, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Garments: Pierre Cardin Archives. Photo: Lok Cheng, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Garments: Pierre Cardin Archives. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Dan Leung, M+, Hong Kong
Installation view of Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, 2023. Photo: Lok Cheng, M+, Hong Kong
Tickets
Tickets to Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China include access to all galleries. Children ages 6 and below do not need to purchase tickets. A complimentary guided tour led by M+ Volunteer Guide is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Public
Standard: HKD 140
Concessions*: HKD 70
M+ Members
Discounted tickets: HKD 98
Members can enjoy a 30% discount (unlimited quota). Guests holding discounted tickets must be accompanied by members. Become a Member to unlock exclusive benefits.
M+ Patrons
Discounted guest tickets: HKD 70
Patrons of all tiers can enjoy unlimited free access with designated number of guest(s); and a 50% discount on additional guest tickets (unlimited quota). Guests holding discounted tickets must be accompanied by patrons. Become a Patron to unlock exclusive benefits.
*Concession tickets are available to full-time students, children ages 7 to 11, senior citizens ages 60 or above, persons with disabilities and companion, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.
Exhibition Publication
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The content of this/these programme(s)/activity(ies) does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Image at top: Fashion shoot at the Forbidden City with Madame Song and a group of Chinese models trained by her, 1980s. Photo: © Yonfan