The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) has opened a new free exhibition titled 'Blooming: The Art of Gardens in East and West', featuring over 100 paintings and artefacts. A major collaboration between the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Palace of Versailles, the show includes masterpieces by Claude Monet—specifically 'Water Lilies' (1906) and 'Water Lily Pond' (1900)—on loan from Chicago, alongside works by Chinese artists such as Leng Mei, Wen Zhengming, and Zhang Daqian. The exhibition explores garden imagery across cultures, from the royal grounds of King Louis XIV to the imperial retreats of Emperor Qianlong, and runs until July 29, 2026, with free admission.
The exhibition matters because it offers a rare opportunity for Hong Kong audiences to view iconic Monet paintings without traveling abroad, while also presenting a cross-cultural dialogue between Eastern and Western garden art. By bringing together loans from major institutions in Beijing, Chicago, and Versailles, the show underscores Hong Kong's role as a global art hub and demonstrates the power of international museum collaboration. The free entry policy also broadens public access to world-class art, making it a significant cultural event for the city.