In an unprecedented cultural collaboration, Chanel, the iconic luxury fashion house, and M+, Asia’s premier global museum of contemporary visual culture in Hong Kong, have formed a three-year partnership. The strategic alliance, commencing in July, is aimed at bolstering M+’s moving image programmes through a newly created position – the “Chanel Lead Curator, Moving Image”. This landmark partnership marks Chanel’s inaugural collaboration with a cultural establishment in Hong Kong, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to bolstering local cultural institutions with a global reach.
The partnership echoes the shared commitment of Chanel and M+ to encouraging creative and critical thinking and shaping the evolution of moving image in Asia and globally. As part of the collaboration, Chanel will patronize the position of “Chanel Lead Curator, Moving Image”, a role presently held by Silke Schmickl. Schmickl spearheads the enhancement of M+’s moving image collection, commissions, and film and curatorial programmes, and supervises the activities of the museum’s Moving Image Centre.
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Beyond underpinning the curator role, Chanel’s patronage extends to select M+ cinema programmes over the forthcoming three years. These include “Rediscoveries”, a recurring series spotlighting forgotten gems and restored classics, and “Afterimage”, featuring works by some of today’s most prominent video artists and experimental filmmakers. Furthermore, the partnership will catalyse two pioneering initiatives, “M+ Restore” and the Asian Avant-Garde Film Circulation Library. “M+ Restored” is a new film restoration initiative aimed at preserving Hong Kong’s rich cinematic legacy, while the library is a comprehensive research and collection-building endeavour that recognizes and celebrates Asia’s pioneering film artists.
In addition to these initiatives, all partnership programmes will incorporate dialogues and conversations such as guest lectures, masterclasses, and workshops to spark interest in film culture and inspire future artists. Selected screenings will also offer complimentary tickets for students and the public.
Yana Peel, global head of arts and culture at Chanel, commended the partnership, expressing pride in collaborating with M+ on their pioneering curation and preservation of moving image. Peel voiced hopes that Chanel’s cultural commitment and the partnership with M+ will present opportunities for an emerging generation of moving image artists from Hong Kong and the region to envision the future.
Suhanya Raffel, museum director of M+, expressed her delight at Chanel’s shared vision and support in preserving film culture and advancing moving image practices. Raffel stressed that Chanel’s significant support plays a crucial role in pushing M+’s curatorial endeavours in moving image to the forefront and promoting the vibrancy of rich film heritage to a global audience.
Schmickl expressed gratitude for Chanel’s support towards their multifaceted moving image activities. She stated that the partnership enables them to initiate significant initiatives to research and preserve the work of some of Asia’s most influential film artists, and present them within pertinent contemporary curatorial frameworks of international moving image culture.
This news is based on a report by Marketing Interactive.
