Night Charades, an upcoming animation project in Hong Kong, revives iconic films with AI-generated characters reenacting scenes from legends like Leslie Cheung, Chow Yun-fat, Maggie Cheung, Stephen Chow, Anita Mui, and Brigitte Lin.
Drawing inspiration from directors such as John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, Tsui Hark, and Wong Jing, it blends chivalric choreography, romanticism, imagination, and comical farce.
This futuristic, theatrical tribute to Hong Kong cinema's golden age will be showcased at M+, the city's leading museum of contemporary visual culture, from March 22 to June 29.
Night Charades will illuminate the M+ Facade in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon. The work, created by Singaporean artist and filmmaker Ho Tzu Nyen, is co-commissioned by M+ and Art Basel, with support from UBS.
“As we embark upon the fourth year of partnership on the M+ Facade with Art Basel, we are thrilled to co-commission Night Charades, a work that interprets Hong Kong’s vibrant cinema through a contemporary lens and new technologies," says Suhanya Raffel, M+ Museum Director, in a media statement.
"This collaboration showcases the extraordinary talent in Asia, inviting local and global audiences to engage with the dynamic interplay of visual culture and Hong Kong cinema,” he adds.
The animation, featuring Ho's blend of historical facts and mythical narratives, is set to unfold in a non-linear fashion, with an algorithm continually reshuffling characters and scenes to create fresh visual combinations.
"In Night Charades, I explore the intricate tapestry of Hong Kong’s cinematic history and shared memories," says Ho.
"The AI-generated imagery, inspired by iconic scenes and characters from the golden age of cinema, adds a playful touch that invites audiences to rethink history and to re-imagine the future."
The luminous scenes in Night Charades will play out against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.
"I hope this visual experience on the M+ Facade, complemented by the scenery of Victoria Harbour at night, can be a celebration of Hong Kong film history and inspire audiences to see the city’s cinematic past in a new light," says Ho.
M+ will also host a complementary film programme titled "Ho Tzu Nyen: Investigating Histories" at the M+ Grand Stair throughout the month of March. The programme will feature five of the artist’s films - including Utama – Every Name In History Is I (2003) and The Cloud Of Unknowing (2011) - offering a deep dive into his speculative approach to history and filmmaking.
