The first large-scale retrospective of the world-renowned Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, "Life Is Architecture" traces the life and work of one of the most influential builders of the 20th and 21st centuries.

PAYING TRIBUTE TO CONTEMPORARY ASIAN VISUAL CULTURE

Located in Hong Kong, M+ is a museum dedicated to the collection, exhibition, and interpretation of the visual arts, design and architecture, moving images, and visual culture of 20th- and 21st-century Hong Kong. An innovative museum, reflecting its time and place, M+ has set itself the mission of becoming one of the world's leading cultural institutions. And what better setting than the cultural district of West Kowloon to provide this unique space with a backdrop worthy of its ambitions? On 40 hectares of reclaimed land along Victoria Harbour, this vibrant and dynamic district has seen the establishment of an eclectic mix of theaters, performance venues, and museums. A beautiful way to embody the true face of Hong Kong, this small territory open to the world that has found the perfect balance between tradition and modernity! Renowned for its bold exhibitions, M+ cultivates the blending of influences and the melting pot of cultures. Few lives embody the vision of transcultural exchange with such meticulousness and elegance as that of Ieoh Ming Pei…

IN THE WORLD OF IM PEI

The East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the modernization of the Grand Louvre in Paris, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha: I.M. Pei (1917–2019) is a legendary architect who left his mark on the history of architecture and popular culture through these prestigious projects around the world. For seven consecutive decades, he dedicated himself to honoring both the cultural histories of different regions and the intensity of global movements through his architecture. Inseparable from existence, his work evokes a belief in collaboration and transcultural dialogue between buildings and their environment. While he is best known for his museum projects, I.M. Pei should be recognized for the significance of his works, which extends far beyond their iconic form. Blending art and architecture, he often commissioned artworks, usually large-scale sculptures, to be integrated into the museums, banks, and housing projects he designed. This underscores art's capacity to enhance our experience of space! Born in China, I.M. Pei pursued his architectural studies in the United States. Having grown up amidst global upheaval and turmoil such as the Great Depression, the Sino-Japanese War, and World War II, this citizen of the world transformed cities across the globe by weaving together a mosaic of power dynamics, geopolitical complexity, and cultural traditions. In short, he laid the foundations of the contemporary world!

SPOTLIGHT ON AN EXCEPTIONAL EXHIBITION

After more than seven years of preparation, the retrospective "Life Is Architecture" presents over 400 previously unseen objects. These include original drawings, architectural models, photographs, films, and other archival documents from institutional and private collections. To engage the next generation of architecture students with the work of I.M. Pei, M+ partnered with the University of Hong Kong and the School of Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Their students contributed to the creation of five models of some of Pei's most important projects, including the Shanghai Museum of Chinese Art (1946, unbuilt), the Hyperboloid (1954-1956, unbuilt) in New York, and the Luce Memorial Chapel (1954-1963) in Taichung. The exhibition also features new photographs of 11 projects built by Pei, taken by seven international photographers including Naho Kubota (New York), Lee Kuo-Min (Taipei), Giovanna Silva (Milan), and Mohamed Somji (Dubai), in order to reconsider the enduring influence of his work. But the exhibition focuses primarily on the architect's life and work, exploring six key areas that not only define his unique practice but also place his architectural projects in dialogue with social, cultural, and biographical trajectories. His education, his approach to cities, his engagement with art, his relationships with clients, his masterful use of geometry, materials, and structure, and his profound reflection on the past: these themes constitute the very essence of I.M. Pei's work and demonstrate that architecture and life are inextricably linked. An exhibition not to be missed…

“IM PEI: LIFE IS ARCHITECTURE” M+ EST KOWLOON CULTURAL DISTRICT, 38 MUSEUM DRIVE, KOWLOON (HONG KONG)
FROM JUNE 29, 2024 TO JANUARY 5, 2025
MPLUS.ORG.HK