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.

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, emphasising the significance of the institution’s ongoing collaboration with Art Basel, says, ‘As we embark upon the fourth year of partnership on the M+ Facade with Art Basel, we are thrilled to co-commission Night Charades, a work that interprets Hong Kong’s vibrant cinema through a contemporary lens and new technologies. This collaboration showcases the extraordinary talent in Asia, inviting local and global audiences to engage with the dynamic interplay of visual culture and Hong Kong cinema. The facade commission aligns with M+’s mission to cultivate a profound appreciation for the multifaceted visual narratives of Hong Kong.’

Angelle Siyang-Le, Director, Art Basel Hong Kong, says, ‘Night Charades exemplifies the connection between Asia and the global art scene, grounded in Hong Kong’s cinematic heritage. This work not only highlights the artist’s ties to the city but also serves as a crucial link between local and regional cultures. Our collaboration with M+ and Ho Tzu Nyen is essential in fostering connections that encourage audiences to explore the evolving narratives of history, memory, and innovation. As Art Basel, we hope this commission, supported by UBS, inspires communities worldwide to engage with the rich stories that define the cultural landscape of our host city, Hong Kong.’

Silke Schmickl, CHANEL Lead Curator, Moving Image, M+, and Ariadne Long, Assistant Curator, Visual Art, M+, say, ‘Ho Tzu Nyen’s work explores the intersections of history, mythical narratives, and Hong Kong popular culture. Through its innovative reimagining of Hong Kong cinema, Night Charades recalls the golden age of 1980s and 1990s cinema, which is deeply embedded in our collective consciousness. The work embodies a belief that this cinematic heritage will continue to be a vital part of the city's artistic future.’

Ho Tzu Nyen says, ‘In Night Charades, I explore the intricate tapestry of Hong Kong’s cinematic history and shared memories. The AI-generated imagery, inspired by iconic scenes and characters from the golden age of cinema, adds a playful touch that invites audiences to rethink history and to re-imagine the future. I hope this visual experience on the M+ Facade, complemented by the scenery of Victoria Harbour at night, can be a celebration of Hong Kong film history and inspire audiences to see the city’s cinematic past in a new light.’

In conjunction with Night Charades, the film programme Ho Tzu Nyen: Investigating Histories will be featured at the M+ Grand Stair throughout March 2025. The programme features five seminal films spanning the artist’s twenty-year career, offering audiences a comprehensive and in-depth perspective on his speculative approach to history and filmmaking. The screenings include Utama—Every Name in History is I (2003); 4x4—Episodes of Singapore Art, Episode 3: Tang Da Wu—The Most Radical Gesture (2005); Earth [Black to Comm soundtrack] (2011); The Cloud of Unknowing (2011); and The Nameless (2015).

For details of the screening programme and Night Charades on the M+ Facade, please refer to the M+ website.

About Ho Tzu Nyen

Ho Tzu Nyen was born in Singapore in 1976. His work is steeped in Eastern and Western cultural references, encompassing art history, theatre, cinema, music, and philosophy. By blending mythical narratives with historical facts, Ho explores different interpretations of history, its writing, and its transmission. The central theme of his oeuvre is a long-term investigation of the plurality of cultural identities in Southeast Asia, a region so multifaceted in its languages, religions, cultures, and influences that it defies reduction to a simple geographical area or a singular historical base. This understanding of the region’s complexity is reflected in his works, which weave together different regimes of knowledge, narratives, and representations. From documentary research to fantasy, his work combines archival images, animation, and film into installations that are often immersive and theatrical.

Ho’s work has been presented in solo exhibitions at the Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson (2024); Art Sonje Center, Seoul (2024); Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (2024); Singapore Art Museum (2023); Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2022); Toyota Municipal Museum of Art (2021); Crow Museum of Asian Arts, Dallas (2021); Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (2021); Edith-Russ-Haus for Media Art, Oldenburg (2019); Kunstverein in Hamburg (2018); Ming Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai (2018); Asia Art Archive, Hong Kong (2017); Guggenheim Bilbao (2015); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2012); and The Substation, Singapore (2003). He represented the Singapore Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale in 2011.

About the M+ Facade Commissions

The M+ Facade is an expansive, light-powered canvas featuring thousands of LEDs on the south face of the M+ building, making it one of the largest media screens in the world. Overlooking Victoria Harbour, the facade showcases a dynamic mix of works from the M+ Collections, moving image commissions, and the museum’s identity, offering moments of play, humour, poetry, intellectual reflection, and artistic contemplation to thousands of onlookers each evening. Throughout the year, M+ collaborates with leading artists from all over the world, commissioning works for the facade that champion new moving image practices and deepen the museum’s connection with a global audience. These commissions speak to M+’s role as a pioneering global museum of contemporary visual culture engaged with technology and digital media while contributing to the thriving arts scene in Hong Kong.

About M+

M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most extensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.

About the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK)

WestK is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural hubs in the world and Hong Kong’s new cultural tourism landmark, spanning forty hectares alongside Victoria Harbour. WestK comprises a mix of landmark arts and cultural facilities, including world-class museums M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, intricately designed performing arts venues the Xiqu Centre and Freespace, the eleven-hectare Art Park with a waterfront promenade, and the forthcoming WestK Performing Arts Centre, which is under development.

Hosting approximately 1,000 exhibitions, performances, programmes, and events each year, WestK provides a vital platform for both emerging and established artists. WestK welcomes more than ten million visitors each year, enriching the cultural influence of Hong Kong and strengthening the city’s strategic role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

About Art Basel

Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world’s premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong, and Paris. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. Art Basel’s engagement has expanded beyond art fairs through new digital platforms and initiatives such as the Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report. Art Basel’s Global Media Partner is The Financial Times. For further information, please visit artbasel.com.