The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) and M+ invited guests and media to inaugurate this monumental addition to Hong Kong and Asia’s cultural landscape. 

Visitors will encounter additional new commissions upon entering the Main Hall by Taiwan’s leading calligraphy artist Tong Yang-Tze, and the Donor Wall Texture, a digital composition of text displayed on an LED screen by acclaimed Japan’s designer Nakamura Yugo. In the Found Space, M+’s subterranean display space for large-scale multidisciplinary works, the first in a dynamic series of installations will present the work of artists Chen Zhen and Danh Vo. A new M+ Commission by Haegue Yang features long braids of metal bells that hang from ceilings of different heights. Video highlights from the collection and a ten-part animation How to Build a Museum by Vincent Broquaire are featured on the M+ Facade. Designed by a global team of the world-renowned architecture practice Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup, the 65,000-square-metre M+ building is among Hong Kong’s most iconic landmarks, both monumental in its architectural form and radically open in its position in the urban landscape. Located on the Victoria Harbour waterfront, the architecture consists of a striking terracotta tile-clad tower, featuring a dynamic LED media system on the south facade for the display of M+ content, defining the museum’s place within the urban landscape and contributing to the city’s vibrant night-time environment.

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+ 

Image Credit: ToFT

Suhanya Raffel leads M+ as a whole and oversees all museum activities, including acquisitions, programming, collections care, development, research, institutional collaborations, and museum operations. She joined M+ as Executive Director in 2016 and was appointed Museum Director in 2019. Since joining M+, Suhanya has led the museum’s mission, broadening its international reach and championing its deep connection with its local community.

Formerly, Suhanya was Deputy Director of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney from 2013 to 2016. She also held several positions, including Deputy Director of Curatorial, at the Queensland Art Gallery / Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane from 2002 to 2012, where she was instrumental in building the contemporary Asia Pacific collection and led its Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art.

Suhanya is the ex-officio Member of the M+ Board, a Founding Committee Member of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka, a trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust and the Lunuganga Trust in Sri Lanka, a member of the Board of the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art, and a member of BIZOT group. She was awarded the title of Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2020.

John Wickremeratne, Deputy Director, Museum Operations, M+ 
John Wicks oversees all commercial and financial operations of M+, including business planning, budget, retail, food and beverage, museum security, building operations, visitor services, and strategic project management and governance. He is also responsible for managing the two M+ Board subcommittees: the Budget and Finance Committee and the Enterprise and Partnerships Committee. Since joining M+ in 2018, John has played a key role in implementing the strategic objectives and effective project management and organisational initiatives at the museum.

Formerly, John was the Chief Operating and Chief Financial Officer at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) in Sydney (2008–2018) and the Company Secretary on the board of AGNSW, the AGNSW Foundation, VisAsia, and the Brett Whiteley Foundation (2008–2018). He was also on the Sydney Modern Building Expansion Project team (2016–2018), where he was responsible for the project’s business development, financial management, and corporate governance. Prior to that, John was the Chief Financial Officer at the Cultural Facilities Corporation in Canberra (2004–2008) and Executive Director of Finance and Services at the Australia Council for the Arts in Sydney (2000–2004).

John is a Founding Committee Member of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Sri Lanka and a fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants. Previously, he was a member of the New South Wales Public Sector Community of Finance Professionals Advisory Board.

Slider image credit: Studio Kevin Mak