Hong Kong Museum Puts Picasso in Cross-cultural Dialogue

Artworks by Pablo Picasso are pictured during the media preview of 'Picasso for Asia: A Conversation' at M+ in Hong Kong. May JAMES / AFP
Artworks by Pablo Picasso are pictured during the media preview of 'Picasso for Asia: A Conversation' at M+ in Hong Kong. May JAMES / AFP
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Hong Kong Museum Puts Picasso in Cross-cultural Dialogue

Artworks by Pablo Picasso are pictured during the media preview of 'Picasso for Asia: A Conversation' at M+ in Hong Kong. May JAMES / AFP
Artworks by Pablo Picasso are pictured during the media preview of 'Picasso for Asia: A Conversation' at M+ in Hong Kong. May JAMES / AFP

More than a century ago, Pablo Picasso smashed the Sacre-Coeur Basilica in Paris into a web of tangled lines on his canvas, deconstructing reality with the brushstrokes of a master cubist.
At a Hong Kong exhibition opening Saturday, that painting will be shown alongside a more literal form of destruction -- a "gunpowder drawing" by Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Qiang -- as part of a cross-cultural exchange, AFP said.
"Interest in (Picasso's) life and work hasn't subsided at all, including in Asia" in the half-century since his death, said Doryun Chong, artistic director and chief curator at the M+ museum.
The show will pair more than 60 masterpieces loaned from the Picasso Museum in Paris with around 130 works by Asian and Asian-diasporic artists.
Highlights include "Portrait of a Man" from Picasso's Blue Period, a 1937 horse head sketch for "Guernica" and "Massacre in Korea", a 1951 expressionist anti-war painting.
"Exhibitions on Picasso tend to be very monographic," said Chong, who co-curated the event.
"We felt that it's more productive for understanding Picasso... that we create these unexpected juxtapositions and dialogues."
Cecile Debray, president of the Picasso Museum in Paris, hailed the approach as being "decentered from the Western point of view".
The last major Picasso showcase in Hong Kong, a more straightforward affair, took place in 2012 and drew huge crowds.
In the intervening decade, Picasso's reputation has been dented by the #MeToo movement as critics decried his abusive treatment of wives and girlfriends.
"We are of course very open and honest about the rather disturbing aspects of his biography, but we also shouldn't let that determine the meanings of his whole career," Chong said.
Hong Kong officials have touted the four-month exhibition as part of "Art March", hoping that high-brow events at museums, fairs and auction houses can boost the city's international appeal.
Since opening in late 2021, M+ has seen more than eight million visitors -- a bright spot for Hong Kong's loss-making West Kowloon Cultural District.
Chong said the museum connects visual culture between Asia and the world, citing the example of how Picasso is placed next to self-taught local painter Luis Chan.
Chan, who drew ample inspiration from the Spanish master, was "of the older generation when formal training in art was not possible in Hong Kong".
"Still he felt connected to the center of the art world at the time in Paris, and the very important figure in that context (that is) Picasso."



Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Research Grants to Enrich Cultural Studies

The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s strategic vision to strengthen scientific research in the cultural sector and advance the generation of cultural knowledge
The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s strategic vision to strengthen scientific research in the cultural sector and advance the generation of cultural knowledge
TT

Saudi Culture Ministry Launches Research Grants to Enrich Cultural Studies

The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s strategic vision to strengthen scientific research in the cultural sector and advance the generation of cultural knowledge
The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s strategic vision to strengthen scientific research in the cultural sector and advance the generation of cultural knowledge

The Saudi Ministry of Culture has announced the launch of six specialized research grants as part of the inaugural cycle of its Culture Research Grants Program.

The initiative aligns with the Ministry’s strategic vision to strengthen scientific research in the cultural sector and advance the generation of cultural knowledge.

The grants reflect the cultural research priorities announced at the end of last year: culture in its context, cultural contact, diversity and inclusion, sustainability and quality of life, and cultural policies and regulations.

The grants are designed to empower researchers and practitioners to contribute to these priorities through high-quality studies that enrich academic knowledge and support the development of the cultural sector.

The Anthropological Studies Grant encourages anthropological research focused on the culture of the Arabian Peninsula, aiming to bridge academic gaps in the field, deepen scientific understanding of cultural elements and their social and economic contexts, preserve national memory, and provide a robust scientific foundation for cultural heritage documentation and policymaking.

The Saudi Arabia from a Global Perspective Grant invites studies that explore the connections between Saudi culture and global civilizations, highlighting the Kingdom’s and the Arabian Peninsula’s historical contributions to cultural development and transformation.

The Children’s Culture Grant addresses research gaps related to cultural production for children. Falling under the theme of diversity and inclusion, it aims to examine participation patterns and determinants, supporting efforts to ensure inclusive engagement across all segments of society.

The Rights of Creatives and Artists Grant promotes research into the challenges surrounding intellectual property rights for artists and creators. It aims to build an evidence base to support policymakers in protecting creative works, while identifying innovative ways to safeguard these rights amid rapid technological change.

The Creative Economy Grant, aligned with the priority of sustainability and quality of life, seeks to expand scientific knowledge on the contribution of the creative economy to sustainable development.

It encourages studies that assess the economic challenges facing cultural institutions and professionals and supports the development of sustainable business models for cultural industries. The Culture and Sustainability Grant supports research on the intersection of culture with environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

It aims to evaluate the effects of environmental challenges on the cultural sector and to empower cultural practitioners to adopt sustainable practices.

The Ministry’s announcement of these grants underscores its commitment to fostering scientific research, preserving cultural heritage, enhancing the body of cultural knowledge, and promoting innovation across the sector.

This initiative is a cornerstone of the Ministry’s broader research strategy, which aims to strengthen the relationship between cultural production and scientific inquiry at both regional and global levels, while creating a distinguished research environment that elevates the quality and impact of cultural studies.