Tuesday 03 June 2025

The British Council Hong Kong is delighted to announce the launch of its newly transformed art space Bookshop Gallery, with the opening of its inaugural exhibition, “Moore’s Visions. More Revisions.”, curated by Hong Kong curator Jims Lam.

Previously a bookshop on the ground floor of the British Council centre in Admiralty, the space has been thoughtfully revitalised and will now serve as a dynamic, year-round exhibition area spotlighting works from the British Council Collection alongside collaborations with Hong Kong and international artists.

The first exhibition, opening on 3 June 2025, features a selection of seven rarely exhibited lithographs by the celebrated British artist Henry Moore from the British Council Collection in Hong Kong.

Recognised as one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Moore’s semi-abstract monumental forms became emblems of resilience and humanity worldwide. In Hong Kong, his works enjoyed exceptional popularity since the 1960s, cementing his legacy through major exhibitions and acquisitions. Moore’s sculptures first gained institutional recognition in Hong Kong at the landmark "Recent British Sculpture" exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art in 1964. Between the 1960s and 1990s, the Museum held five dedicated exhibitions on Moore, more than for any other artist, firmly establishing his influence on Hong Kong’s early engagement with international modern art.

Alongside Moore’s work, the exhibition will showcase works by contemporary artists from Hong Kong and Taipei, namely Chihoi, Wilson Shieh, Liao Wen and Zheng Bo, to foster intergenerational exchange and challenge historical hierarchies within the visual arts.

Chihoi presents original comic scripts from In the Park, as part of Library, where surreal encounters were unfolded in a dreamlike sculpture park, probing the elusiveness of memory and twisting mundane life with dark humour. Wilson Shieh’s Kung Fu Building Series reimagines iconic Hong Kong skyscrapers such as the HSBC Main Building, the Bank of China Tower, and Two IFC as feminized figures in martial arts poses, blending architectural monumentality with questions of identity. Liao Wen’s sculpture Love features two oversized, deformed needles intertwined, evoking fragility, intimacy, and the physical weight of emotional bonds. Zheng Bo contributes Bamboo as Method, a suite of seven live botanical drawings created in London, rendering bamboo as both ecological subject and relational gesture. Together, these works engage with Henry Moore’s lithographs not through imitation, but by extending his formal and conceptual concerns into contemporary reflections on care, monumentality, and the body.

“We are thrilled to breathe new life into our former bookshop space and open the Bookshop Gallery to the public,” said Susannah Morley, Director of British Council Hong Kong. “By combining our remarkable British Council Collection with the creative energy of Hong Kong and regional artists, we hope to foster artistic exchange, cultural dialogue, and a deeper appreciation of contemporary art practices between the UK and Hong Kong.”

Kyle Chung, Head of Arts, British Council Hong Kong said, “The “Moore’s Visions. More Revisions.” exhibition aims at honouring Henry Moore’s legacy within the British Council Collection in Hong Kong. The curator revisits Moore’s iconic "Mother and Child" series, reinterpreted through contemporary lenses including non-human, queer, and cultural perspectives.”

Curated by Jims Lam, the Show Director of Supper Club and an independent curator known for his heritage-driven research and cross-cultural exhibitions, the show marks the inaugural showcase at the Bookshop Gallery. A series of showcases will be taking place at the gallery throughout the year, the second exhibition is scheduled for Winter 2025.

Begun in 1938, The British Council Collection is made up of artworks by British artists and comprises nearly 9,000 artworks by over 1,700 artists and is one of the largest national collections of modern and contemporary art. As the Collection has no permanent display location, it is often referred to as a 'museum without walls'. Much of the work is on exhibition across the world as part of the programmes developed by, or in collaboration with, the British Council, or as loans to major institutions and museums globally. In Hong Kong, the British Council holds around 90 works from the Collection by renowned 20th and 21st century artists including Henry Moore, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, and others.

Exhibition Details:

Title: Moore’s Visions. More Revisions.
Date: 3 June – 5 October 2025
Time: 10 am – 7pm
Venue: British Council Bookshop Gallery, G/F, 3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty
Artists: Henry Moore, Chihoi, Wilson Shieh, Liao Wen and Zheng Bo
Curator: Jims Lam

About Henry Moore:

Henry Moore (1898–1986) was a pioneering British sculptor renowned for his semi-abstract depictions of the human form. His work, often exploring themes of resilience, nature, and maternal bonds, remains celebrated for its universal appeal and monumental beauty. Moore’s legacy endures across continents, and in Hong Kong, his profound impact continues to inspire new generations of artists and audiences.

To learn more about the “Moore’s Visions. More Revisions.” exhibition and the British Council Bookstore Gallery, please visit: 

https://www.britishcouncil.hk/en/programmes/arts/exhibition-moore%E2%80%99s-visions-more-revisions

Notes to Editor

About The British Council Collection

The British Council has been collecting works of art since 1938 and the Collection now comprises almost 9,000 paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture, photography and multi-media artworks showcasing the best of UK-based contemporary visual artists which are hold in trust for the people of the UK.  

The British Council Collection is central to its mission to build connections, understanding and trust between the people of the UK and the wider world and to facilitate debate on global issues. These works are not for sale; they are lent from the Collection in the UK and internationally for display and exhibition, a workshop in London is responsible for caring for and researching on the Collection. 

The Collection features major works by the biggest names in 20th and 21st century British Art, including Francis Bacon, Gilbert and George, Mona Hatoum, Barbara Hepworth, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Henry Moore, Bridget Riley and many more. 

Around 90 works of art from the British Council Collection are currently in Hong Kong and will be exhibited at different occasions for the Hong Kong public to engage with these works of art.

https://arts.britishcouncil.org/projects/british-council-collection

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021–22 we reached 650 million people.

The British Council celebrated its 75th anniversary in Hong Kong in 2023, marking an important milestone of our commitment to building connections between the UK and Hong Kong.

www.britishcouncil.hk