In art, we live. The 2025 French May Arts Festival takes ‘Vive L’art’ as the theme to celebrate the long-lasting artistic wonders of French culture and heritage, as well as the ever-growing connection and exchange between Hong Kong and France. Succeeding our previous editions and tying in with our mission, the festival offers a myriad of cultural events for everyone, embarking on a sensory journey through sights and sounds.
At the heart of this year’s festival is the feature exhibition The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Picasso for Asia—A Conversation, co-presented by M+, in collaboration with Musée national Picasso-Paris (MnPP). An unprecedented cross-cultural and intergenerational dialogue between the European master Pablo Picasso and contemporary Asian artists, the exhibition features more than sixty works from MnPP, and 130 works by Asian and Asian-diasporic artists from the M+ Collections. Seeing Picasso’s legacy in a new light, the exhibition delves into the complex relationships between origin and reception, invention and adaptation, as well as East and West.
Jazzing it up with music and dance, the festival brings in an exciting line-up of collaborations, as celebrated French singer-composer Sarah Lancman teams up with local virtuoso Joyce Cheung for Jazz Female Duo – Paris Rendezvous, while singer-songwriter Joyce Jonathan meets local sensation Jay Fung for the Echoes of the Heart concert; not to mention French-Swiss jazz trumpeter Erik Truffaz’s Rollin’ & Clap! will keep the good vibes rolling. As for classical music, HK Phil takes centre stage with Gautier Capuçon Plays Shostakovich. In dance, with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, West Kowloon Cultural District presents contemporary dance Corps extrêmes, while HK Ballet is set to hit the stage with romantic ballet Giselle. Produced by Alliance Française de Hong Kong, Claire and Anthony’s Souvenirs, which marries dance and shadow theatre, will mesmerise the audience.
To encourage a deeper appreciation, and foster audience engagement in art and culture, the festival covers a wide array of activities in different mediums, including masterclasses for emerging local talents, workshops, screenings, and talks, which provide an intimate look into artists and their craft. For the French Rendezvous @ Tai Kwun, Remue Ménage follows its street parade Le Bal with family-friendly circus workshops. Epicures and gourmets cannot miss the French GourMay and its series of gastronomic workshops, which promise to dazzle your palate and transport you to France, with exceptional wines and delicacies. Touch everything, be everywhere, for everyone, the thirty-second French May Arts Festival hopes to enrich and enliven your life with a kaleidoscope of programmes. Vive l'art, vive la vie!
