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South Korea’s Arte Museum Exits Hong Kong Stage
By Annette Meier
Installation view of the "Flower Morando" exhibition hall at Arte M Hong Kong. Courtesy Arte M Hong Kong.
After two years of operation, South Korea’s multimedia Arte Museum has announced that it will shutter its Hong Kong outpost, Arte M Hong Kong, and relocate to a new venue in the neighboring city of Shenzhen on December 31.
Located in K11 HACC, a multipurpose art space in Quarry Bay, Arte M Hong Kong was jointly launched in October 2022 by the Korean design company d’strict and Hong Kong cultural conglomerate K11 Group. The latter is owned by property tycoon and art collector Adrian Cheng, who recently stepped down as CEO of the heavily indebted conglomerate New World Development (NWD).
Arte M is known in Hong Kong for hosting immersive exhibitions under the theme “Eternal Nature.” The 850-square-meter art space originally planned to relocate to 11 Skies, a NWD-owned shopping center within Hong Kong International Airport, but is now set to open in Shenzhen, a megacity just 30 minutes away from Hong Kong by high-speed rail.
Arte Museum was first established as a digital art hall in 2020 in Jeju, offering visual, aural, and olfactory experiences through nature-themed shows across four locations in Korea. Arte M Hong Kong marked the institution’s first overseas venue, and individual outposts in Las Vegas, Dubai, and Chengdu emerged soon after, with each showcasing media art inspired by the natural and cultural heritage of their respective environments.
To attract visitors, Arte M Hong Kong is offering a 50-percent discount on online-only tickets, and will remain open daily to the public until its closure at the end of 2024.
Annette Meier is an editorial assistant at ArtAsiaPacific.
