Blooming: The Art of Gardens Around the World

Description

Featuring 106 celebrated paintings and artefacts, Hong Kong Museum of Art’s Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West considers the garden as a space of power, leisure and artistic imagination. From the imperial landscapes of Emperor Qianlong (1711–1799) and the theatrical grounds of Louis XIV (1638–1715) to the creative visions of eminent artists like Claude Monet, Zhang Daqian and Wen Zhengming, it traces how gardens have been designed, experienced and reimagined across time.

Rather than framing a cross-cultural comparison, the show centres on shared impulses: retreat, control, beauty and reflection. Through depictions of garden architecture, daily activities and artistic interpretations, it reveals how these cultivated environments mirror social ideals and personal aspirations. Presented in Hong Kong at an unprecedented scale, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity to encounter masterworks from the Palace Versailles in Paris, Palace Museum, Beijing; Art Institute of Chicago and Hong Kong Museum of Art.