Visual Identity of “Ambiguously Yours: Gender in Hong Kong Popular Culture” Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong M+, the museum of visual culture in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District, today unveiled Ambiguously Yours: Gender in Hong Kong Popular Culture(Ambiguously Yours), the third exhibition to be presented at the M+ Pavilion. Running from 17 March to 21 May 2017, this exhibition is the first curated by M+ to examine popular culture by considering the 1980s and 1990s in Hong Kong popular culture as a platform for avant-garde experimentation in representations of gender identity. More than 90 works spanning the 1960s to 2016 fastidiously selected by the M+ curatorial team are presented in four main sections: I Am What I Am: Performing Cantopop Stage performance is a key factor in the phenomenal success of Cantopop and the stars. Through the performance costumes of Cantopop legends Roman Tam, Anita Mui, and as well as those of contemporary artist Denise Ho, visitors will experience the magnificent designs behind some of Hong Kong's most iconic performers. Select works of the Cantopop idol Leslie Cheung also demonstrate how he was bold in creating an image that appealed to both male and female fans in daring performances that challenged gender stereotypes through role play and cross-dressing. Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong He’s a Woman, She’s a Man: Role Play During the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong was the third largest film industry in the world, and the second largest exporter, as the market for Hong Kong films internationally exploded. The second section of the exhibition showcases a selection of film clips including Stanley Kwan’s classic story, Rouge (1988), through to Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express (1994), to explore the everyday ambiguity in male and female roles, at the same time revealing changing social and cultural mores. Graphically Yours: Art, Design and Commerce The success of the Cantopop and film industries fostered a rich period in graphic design and photography in Hong Kong. The third section of the exhibition examines how this success promoted experimentation in a wide range of media, including album cover and magazine cover designs. Through the work of prominent art directors including William Chang and Tina Liu, photographers Leong Ka-tai, Wing Shya and Andrew Tang, and graphic designers such as Alan Chan, original, visually-impactful works were created that went beyond marketing to encode changes in social and cultural attitudes and aspirations. ‘Ambiguously Yours: Graphically Yours: Art, Design, and Commerce’ Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong Pop Goes Culture In the final section of the exhibition, M+ presents a selection of works from its collection to demonstrate the global phenomenon of popular culture today, and their impact on artists across disciplines covering works by Wilson Shieh, Ho Sin-tung, Japanese pop artist Tanaamic Keiichi, and Singaporean artist Ming Wong this section examines the interplay between popular culture and the fields of art, design and moving images. Exhibition View Ambiguously Yours: Pop Goes Culture Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong Costume for Denise Ho’s HOCC Live in Unity 2006 concert, designed by Eddie Lau 2006 Donated by Mr. Eddie LAU Hong Kong Heritage Museum Collection, Leisure and Cultural Services Department Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong “Ambiguously Yours examines visual culture through a series of recognisable works from the heyday of Hong Kong's popular culture that revolutionised the creative industry in the region, and its impact on artists represented in the M+ collection,” said Chloe Chow, Assistant Curator, Hong Kong Visual Culture at M+. Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong Wilson Shieh Hong Kong City Hall sits at Connaught Road Ink, watercolour and gouache on white silk 2007 Courtesy of M+, Hong Kong Ambiguously Yours: Gender in Hong Kong Popular Culture is curated by Tina Pang, Curator, Hong Kong Visual Culture, M+; Chloe Chow, Assistant Curator, Hong Kong Visual Culture, M+; and Janis Law, Curatorial Assistant, Moving Image, M+, with Dr Ng Chun-hung and Dr Chow Yiu Fai as curatorial advisors.