Opinion | Can Hong Kong museum-goers put away the phones and see the art?

At the Picasso show, I got in the way of selfie-takers when reading artwork labels. We in Hong Kong have to elevate how we appreciate art

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A visitor aims a phone at a portrait at the “Picasso for Asia” exhibition at M+ on March 18. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 9:30am, 11 May 2025

Richard Serra once said in an interview with Charlie Rose, “Art is purposely useless”. What the artist known for his colossal sculptures meant was that, unlike architecture, art can escape from all constraints and restrictions and be free.

Well, Serra would eat his words if he had a chance to see what museum visitors are like these days.

At the recent “Picasso for Asia – A Conversation ” exhibition at M+, most people were either busy taking photos of the art or taking selfies with the art behind them. I wondered how many people would put away their mobile phones to enjoy the show, or have the heart to learn a little more background on the works. More often than not, I found myself getting in the way of the selfie-takers when reading the labels for the artworks.

All of a sudden, art has a lot of purpose. It now serves as the ideal backdrop for social media vanity as the selfie-takers scream: “I was there!” “I saw a real Picasso!”

But I am guilty as charged; I had a family photo taken in front of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper several weeks ago. Having read about the painting for years, including in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci’s Code, I was mesmerised when I saw the masterpiece in person. I could not resist sharing the joy with others back home as I stepped out of the dining room of Santa Maria delle Grazie.

Throughout the years, I have been to museums and galleries in London, Amsterdam and Milan. Occasionally, there were a few selfies-takers, but I rarely got in anyone’s way. Not everybody was snap-happy.

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