Jockey Club supports pioneering “Picasso for Asia—A Conversation” exhibition to launch French May Arts Festival

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is delighted to support the French May Arts Festival for the 14th straight year, with the Club’s Charities Trust serving as Major Partner once again.This year’s festival will run from March to July and feature a wide range of arts programmes and educational initiatives. The festival’s opening programme, and a key highlight, is The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation exhibition. It will be on view from 15 March to 13 July at M+ West Gallery and is co-organised by M+ and the Musée national Picasso-Paris, with the Club serving as title sponsor. It’s among celebratory activities to mark the Club’s 140th anniversary.

The exhibition’s opening ceremony was held at M+ West Gallery today (13 March).Attending officials included HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law; Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth; Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Christile Drulhe; Chairman of the Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Henry Tang; Chairman of the M+ Board Bernard Chan; Chief Executive Officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Betty Fung; Museum Director of M+ Suhanya Raffel; President of the Musée national Picasso-Paris Cécile Debray; and Co chairman of the Board of French May Arts Festival Mignonne Cheng and Pansy Ho.

Officiating at the opening ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation exhibition were HKSAR Government Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law (2nd left); Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth (1st left); Consul General of France in Hong Kong and Macau Christile Drulhe (1st right); and Chairman of the Board of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority Henry Tang (2nd right).

Sports and Culture is one of the priority funding areas for the Club’s Charities Trust.Speaking at the ceremony, Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth remarked that the Club is dedicated to fostering arts and cultural development in Hong Kong. This aligns with the Central Government’s vision of developing Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, as outlined in the National 14th Five-Year Plan. The Club is supporting the festival’s arts education programmes as part of its commitment to make the arts accessible to all, thereby enriching local cultural development.

Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation is the first major exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s work in Hong Kong for more than a decade. It showcases over 60 masterpieces by the Spanish artist from the Musée national Picasso-Paris alongside around 130 pieces by contemporary Asian and Asian-diasporic artists from the M+ Collections. It’s the first time masterpieces from the Musée national Picasso-Paris are shown in dialogue with a museum collection in Asia.

Installation view of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation,2025.Image courtesy of M+, Hong Kong

The Club’s Charities Trust is supporting other programmes at the French May Arts Festival under its theme of “Vive L’art” including French Rendezvous@Tai Kwun. The world renowned French troupe Remue Ménage will present a street parade entitled Le Bal at Tai Kwun’s Parade Ground that marries visual arts, circus, dance and puppetry art. For the duration of Remue Ménage’s stay, a series of workshops will be held for local artists,parents and their children together with an artist-in-residence programme to promote cultural exchange and collaboration between French and local performers.

Installation view of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation,2025.Image courtesy of M+, Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Jockey Club-supported Harmonious Horse International Exhibition Tour, part of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign, held its Tsim Sha Tsui Community Exhibition Launch Ceremony today (16 May) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza. The exhibition showcases horse sculptures created by renowned artist Simon Ma and the works are on a year-long tour of Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, symbolising unity between the Club and the community.

Horse sculptures created by renowned artist Simon Ma, are on show at the piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre from today until 21 May.

Guests in attendance at the launch ceremony included Chris Sun, HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Winfried Engelbrecht‑Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and artist Simon Ma.

Chris Sun, HKSAR Government Secretary for Labour and Welfare (3rd right); Winfried Engelbrecht Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (3rd left); renowned artist Simon Ma (2nd right); Eric Lee, Yau Tsim Mong District Officer (1st right); Wong Kwok Hing, Commissioner of Correctional Services (2nd left) at the Harmonious Horse International Exhibition Tour Tsim Sha Tsui Community Exhibition Launch Ceremony as part of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign.

The Tsim Sha Tsui Community Exhibition at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza runs from today until 21 May. The exhibition will then tour Tamar Park in Admiralty, as well as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other locations. Through art and community engagement, it offers more citizens the opportunity to experience the unique charm of horse culture combined with contemporary art. The exhibition also features a nighttime horse-themed light show, highlighting the dynamic movement and power of galloping horses.

Guests joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Guests joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Guests joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Today’s launch ceremony also saw the announcement of the winners of the “Horse With You” Art Competition, launched by the Club in conjunction with Ma. A renowned interdisciplinary artist from Hong Kong, Ma is dedicated to promoting cultural and artistic exchange between East and West, with the horse serving as a significant creative symbol representing strength, unity and the spirit of heritage. As part of the Club’s 140th anniversary celebrations, thousands of young people - from kindergarten to university level – created artworks for the competition, drawing inspiration from the equine paintings of pioneering Chinese artist Xu Beihong. The competition comprised ten categories, with 30 winners or winning teams selected.

Winfried Engelbrecht Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (7th right) presented awards to winners of the “Horse With You” Art Competition.

Almost 100 (TBC) award-winning students from the “Horse With You” Art Competition - launched by the Club in conjunction with Simon Ma – together with mentees of the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme and underprivileged students, joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

Almost 100 (TBC) award-winning students from the “Horse With You” Art Competition - launched by the Club in conjunction with Simon Ma – together with mentees of the HKSAR Government’s Strive and Rise Programme and underprivileged students, joined hands to paint mini horse sculptures at the launch ceremony.

The Club’s Year of the Horse campaign is a year-long celebration of the close bond between horses and humans and the contribution racing makes to Hong Kong. It also promotes tourism as well as equine and sports development. Racing is not only the city’s favourite pastime, but also a symbol of its “can-do” spirit and stability under One Country, Two Systems. Through the success of Hong Kong horses on the international stage, the sport also brings pride to the community and global recognition to our city. None of this would be possible without the horse. For more information, please visit https://hkjc.com/YOTH.

Guests posed a group photo with winners of the “Horse With You” Art Competition.