Sigg Collection eye-opening and pioneering art mid-1990s to 2010
Sigg Collection Inner Worlds artworks by stars of Chinese contemporary art
Welcome the World Famous Brand, 1999, Luo Brothers, Collage and lacquer on wood
M+ Sigg Collection
In 2012, the M+ museum acquired its founding Sigg collection through a monumental donation from Uli Sigg.
First Trade, 2010, Yangjiang Group, Industrial paint on canvas
The collection consists of 1,463 works by 325 contemporary Chinese artists, along with the purchase of an additional 47 works.
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In this extraordinary act of generosity, Uli Sigg made the M+ museum the leading institution for contemporary Chinese art.
Now known as the M+ Sigg Collection, it is the most comprehensive assembly of Chinese contemporary art.
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For Uli Sigg, the seed for his connection with Chinese contemporary art began with his arrival in China in 1979 to work with Schindler Elevators.
Gun, 2001-2002, Liu Ye, Oil on canvas
During his time as a business professional and later as a diplomat (the Swiss Ambassador to China in the 1990s), he saw how a new China emerged.
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He witnessed the transformation from a poor country of scarcity to a prosperous nation with immense economic power.
With a front-row seat to the dawn of a new era and with direct access to Chinese individuals, culture, and society, Sigg recognised that art could be his way to learn more about China.
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In the 1980s, he observed the emerging developments in Chinese contemporary art before beginning to actively collect in the 1990s.
The benchmark for Chinese contemporary art
While he collected, he became an avid promoter and expert. His collection of 2,000 works by the most preeminent artists in China became the benchmark for understanding Chinese contemporary art.
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Consequently, his became the most well-documented and widely presented, examined and exhibited collection of its type, with works drawn from it shown in important institutions around the world.
When the M+ Museum started looking for donations to seed its collection, the directors knew that Uli Sigg had what they wanted.
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The establishment of the M+ Sigg Collection in 2012 gave the museum the momentum to move ahead with the almost decade-long planning for the opening of Hong Kong’s cornerstone of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District.
Left to right: Portrait (No.13), 1998-1999, Oil on Canvas, Portrait (No.2), 1998-1999, Oil on Canvas, Portrait (No.16), 1998-1999, Oil on Canvas, Yang Shaobin
When the M+ museum opened in 2021, the pivotal collection was presented in a foundational show titled Sigg Collection: From Revolution to Globalisation, which ran from 2021 to 2023.
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A second edition of the vast trove was presented in M+ Sigg Collection: Another Story, which ran from 2023 to 2025.
Inner Worlds of emotional expression
In M+ Sigg Collection: Inner Worlds, a new selection of artworks is on display.
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Following on the narrative provided by the previous editions, Inner Worlds looks at the artworks through the lens of emotional expression, with groundbreaking works by leading stars of Chinese contemporary art.
Rulai (Buddha), 2005, Yan Lei, Acrylic on canvas
China underwent rapid globalisation and economic transformation from the mid-1990s to the 2010s.
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During this time, through their art, artists from China reflected on a country in transition and on changing attitudes and values.
Chairman Mao in Discussion with the Peasants of Shaoshan, 1999, Yu Youhan, Acrylic on synthetic fabric
The image of Mao became a visual lexicon and a popular thematic.
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Many artists reflected the nostalgia and the power of Mao Zedong’s ideas and his pervasive hold over the country.
In two works by Yu Youhan, the iconic status of Mao is prominently on display. In Chairman Mao in Discussion with the Peasants of Shaoshan, Chairman Mao is seen sitting and smiling in an amicable setting alongside other Chinese leaders, including Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping, in a colourful, joyful family setting.
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In the work Untitled (Mao Marilyn), Yu elevates Mao to Pop Art icon with an Andy Warhol-inspired painting.
Untitled (Mao Marilyn), 2005, Yu Youhan, Acrylic on canvas
By mimicking the monumental Marilyn works created by Warhol, Yu immortalises Mao, as Warhol had done for Marilyn Monroe.
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Yu also contrasts the emerging schism between socialist ideals and commercialism.
Embroidered Portrait Series-Entertainer with Small White Dog, 2000, Chang Xugong, Silk embroidery on cotton
As China emerged and rapidly developed economically, artists were keen observers and documentarians of changing attitudes and societal norms.
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Chang Xugong observed how some farmers were able to make a quick fortune and flaunted their wealth. Fascinated by this social phenomenon, he featured this social change in his Embroidered Portrait Series.
Embroidered Portrait Series-Untitled, 2000, Chang Xugong, Silk embroidery on rayon and cotton
In works such as Embroidered Portrait Series-Entertainer with Small White Dog, he used embroidery, a folk-art form, to illustrate material prosperity and the pursuit of a gaudy and flashy identity.
Embroidered Portrait Series-Untitled, 1997, Chang Xugong, Silk embroidery on rayon and cotton
His Embroidered Portraits portrayed grinning people and farmers in vibrant colours, donning richly adorned clothes surrounded by wealth, while conveying a cynicism about their true fulfilment and happiness.
Transformation from a poor to prosperous
The transformation from a poor to prosperous society and its impact on people’s sentiments was a common theme among Chinese contemporary artists.
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In Qi Zhilong’s Chinese Woman, he dressed the sitter as a soldier, like propaganda images from the 1960s and 1970s.
Chinese Woman, 1998, Qi Zhilong, Oil on canvas
However, the portrait of the young woman is sultry and trendy like the cover photo of a modern fashion magazine.
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Qi Zhilong’s work illustrates how materialism leaves nothing untouched, even sacred revolutionary sentiments.
Life Like Flower No. 1., 2005-2007, Feng Zhengjie, Oil on canvas
Feng Zhengjie reflected a revelation that in life, fame is fleeting in his enormous oil on canvas Life Like Flower No. 1.
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Although the painting appears bright and exuberant, there is a dark undercurrent. The triptych features an image of the famous and beautiful actress Shu Qi in the middle panel with tiny, unfocused, dead pupils.
The supposed glamour of the star is negated by the two side panels, one with a skull and the other a blossoming rose, symbolising death and then life.
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A huge woodcut print of a sea of bald men looking in the same direction with gaping mouths captures the collective anxiety caused by the SARS outbreak in 2003.
SARS, 2003, Fang Lijun, Woodcut print
A prophetic work by Fang Lijun, the crowded image of orange-yellow heads looking towards the sky in SARS, shows a mob in distress, disarray, and frozen in terror.
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A scene vividly portraying the benefits of modern China’s new affluence is realised in Li Zhanyang’s Nanshan Restaurant.
Nanshan Restaurant, 2007, Li Zhanyang, Fiberglass
The delightful sculpture shows intimate scenes of entertainment and fun in Chongqing’s Nanshan scenic area, a popular sightseeing spot.
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Nearly one hundred figures are situated throughout the hillside, enjoying activities and the leisurely lifestyle made possible by a robust and prosperous economy.
Nanshan Restaurant (detail), 2007, Li Zhanyang, Fiberglass
Amongst the works on show are those by superstars of Chinese contemporary art, Yue Minjun and Ai Weiwei.
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Yue Minjun’s joyful laughing man figure is featured prominently in twenty-five life-sized sculptures in the magnificent 2000 A.D.
2000 A.D., 2000, Yue Minjun, Acrylic on polyester and fibreglass
The sculptural installation fills a good portion of the gallery, and his laughing men are arranged in a manner reminiscent of the sentry terracotta warriors of Emperor Qin Shihuang.
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The figures look happy, yet the identical nature of their dress and posture makes them look robotic and replicant-like, alluding to their lack of individuality.
Upon reviewing them as a collective, their closed eyes and clownlike grins make them seem menacing and creepy, like monsters from a horror movie.
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An imposing wood forest salvaged from the building materials and furniture of old temples is made into the monumental Fragments by Ai Weiwei.
Fragments, 2005, Ai Weiwei, Tieli (wood)
He created the landscape-like work using fragments of wood, joined together using traditional Chinese furniture woodworking techniques.
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He made the work to question historical aesthetics and the connection between old and new ideals.
Sister No.4, 2005, Duan Jianyu, Oil on canvas
Through this type of visual record, artists convey the consequences and ramifications of China’s rapid modernisation.
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M+ Sigg Collection: Inner Worlds offers a comprehensive survey of the societal and cultural shifts experienced by China through the eyes of artists, showcasing their ability to convey joy, sadness, calm, anxiety, doubt, and wonder through their works.
Don’t Touch!, 2010, Liu Wei, Rawhide, metal and wood
To viewers, M+ Sigg Collection: Inner Worlds offers an encounter with a pivotal chapter in global art history.
It ensures that Chinese contemporary art occupies its rightful place in international cultural conversations, while continuing to reveal new perspectives on this transformative period.
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The legacy extends beyond preservation to active dialogue about the role of art in understanding our interconnected world.
Text and photos Cammy Yiu
