Some exhibitions you glance at; this one you sink into. Wael Shawky at M+ puts the Egyptian artist's spellbinding film I Am Hymns of the New Temples at the centre of a darkened gallery, and it is one of the most quietly hypnotic things on show in Hong Kong this summer. If you saw his talked-about pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale, you already know the pull of his work.
Here's what the show is, why it matters, and everything you need to plan a visit before it closes on 25 October 2026. All dates and details below were checked against M+ and gallery listings in July 2026, but museum runs can shift, so confirm before you go.
In This Guide
What is the exhibition?
At its heart is I Am Hymns of the New Temples, a film Shawky made in 2023 inside the excavated ruins of Pompeii, the Roman city frozen by Vesuvius. Performers move through the ancient streets in handmade ceramic and papier-mâché masks, part ritual, part fever dream, as the work traces the tangled meeting point of Egyptian, Greek and Roman mythology.
It's less a documentary than an incantation. Shawky uses that layered setting to ask how civilisations borrow each other's gods and stories — and how those borrowed myths harden into the national narratives we take for granted. Presented in a purpose-darkened M+ gallery, it rewards the full sit-down rather than a passing glance.
Who is Wael Shawky?
Born in 1971 and splitting his life between Alexandria and Philadelphia, Wael Shawky is one of the most singular storytellers in contemporary art. He built his reputation on ambitious films that retell history through marionettes, puppets and masked performers — most famously the Cabaret Crusades trilogy, which recast the Crusades using antique glass puppets.
In 2024 he represented Egypt at the 60th Venice Biennale, where his musical film Drama 1882 — staged around an anti-colonial uprising — became one of the most praised national pavilions of the year. Seeing a major Shawky work in Hong Kong, rather than Venice or the Gulf, is a genuine coup for M+.
Why it's worth your time
Even if video art usually isn't your thing, this one lands. The masks are beautiful and unsettling, the setting is extraordinary, and the sound design does half the work of pulling you under. It's the kind of slow, immersive piece that resets your pace after a frantic day in the city.
It also sits perfectly within M+'s wider summer programme, which spans design, painting and moving image. If you're planning a proper museum day, our guide to the best museums in Hong Kong maps out how to combine it with the neighbours, and our M+ exhibitions guide covers what else is on under the same roof.
How to visit M+
M+ (M+ 博物館) sits on the harbourfront in the West Kowloon Cultural District (西九文化區), and it's an easy trip. The nearest MTR is Kowloon Station (Exit E) or Austin Station (Exit E), each a short signed walk across the district; the Airport Express and Tung Chung line both stop at Kowloon.
General admission is around HK$190 (concessions available) and covers the museum's galleries. A few headline shows sit in a separately ticketed special-exhibition space, so if that matters to your budget, check on the M+ website whether Shawky is included with standard admission on your chosen day.
Pair it with
Make an afternoon of it. The Palace Museum's Ancient Egypt blockbuster is a short stroll away in the same district, and the free galleries of the Hong Kong Museum of Art sit just across the water in Tsim Sha Tsui. For the full sweep of what's on this season, see our round-up of the best art exhibitions in Hong Kong this summer, and for another must-see under the M+ roof, our review of Lee Bul's M+ survey.
Wael Shawky at M+ at a glance
The key details (checked July 2026)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Exhibition | Wael Shawky: I Am Hymns of the New Temples |
| Venue | M+ (M+ 博物館), West Kowloon Cultural District |
| Address | 38 Museum Drive, West Kowloon, Kowloon |
| Dates | Until 25 October 2026 |
| Hours | Tue–Sun 10am–6pm, Fri to 10pm; closed Mon |
| Admission | Around HK$190 general (check M+ for the show) |
| MTR | Kowloon or Austin, Exit E |
Details and gallery locations can change, so confirm before you set off. The M+ exhibitions page has the latest, the West Kowloon Cultural District site covers getting there, and Lisson Gallery has more on the artist.