Hong Kong Heritage Museum unveils ‘Meet Mona Lisa’ exhibition

30th April 2026 – (Hong Kong) The Hong Kong Heritage Museum (HKHM) will open a major exhibition tomorrow (1st May) dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the artistic legacy of the Renaissance, with the showcase running until 27th July.

Titled The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance, the exhibition combines immersive digital technology with original works and rare artefacts on loan from leading French and Italian institutions. Staged in Thematic Galleries 3, 4 and 5 on the first floor of the museum, admission is free.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on 30th April, the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Rosanna Law, described the exhibition as a highlight of this year’s French May Arts Festival. She said the multimedia presentation and exceptional loans from prominent museums would allow visitors to “step inside the frame” and encounter classical art in a vivid and contemporary manner. By bringing the story of the Mona Lisa to Hong Kong audiences, she added, the exhibition offers an experience that is interactive, educational and emotionally engaging.

Among the guests attending the ceremony were France’s Consul General in Hong Kong and Macao, Christile Drulhe; Hong Kong Jockey Club Steward Nicholas Hunsworth; French May Arts Festival Co‑chairman Pansy Ho; Vincent Larnicol, Vice President of Grand Palais Immersif; Vincent Delieuvin, Chief Curator of Italian Painting of the Sixteenth Century at the Musée du Louvre; Dr Matteo Gianeselli, Curator at the Musée national de la Renaissance; Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Manda Chan; and HKHM Museum Director Brian Lam.

The exhibition is divided into two main sections. The first, Meet Mona Lisa, centres on Da Vinci’s celebrated portrait. Developed by the Musée du Louvre and the Grand Palais Immersif, the multimedia installation presents a six‑chapter narrative tracing the painting’s more than 500‑year history. In a dramatic monologue, the Mona Lisa herself “tells” the story behind her enigmatic smile, guiding visitors through the evolution of her global fame.

The second section, Portraying the Renaissance, brings together a diverse selection of artworks from institutions including the Musée national de la Renaissance and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana. The display spans paintings, prints, sculpture, decorative arts and everyday objects, with many items shown in Hong Kong for the first time. Highlights include four original manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci, alongside Renaissance works such as Luca Penni’s The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, Noël Bellemare’s The Crucifixion, and a plaster cast of Michelangelo’s The Rebellious Slave created from original moulds.

Pieces from the Heritage Museum’s own collection are also featured, together with paintings by mainland Chinese artist Xu Lei that echo Renaissance aesthetics, creating a cross‑cultural dialogue across centuries. In the museum lobby, a five‑metre animated installation reimagines the Mona Lisa with a distinctive Hong Kong twist, blending neon motifs with classical artistic symbols.

To complement the exhibition, the museum will host a programme of talks, film screenings, guided tours and tactile workshops. The opening lecture will take place on 1st May at 3pm in the museum theatre, where Mr Delieuvin will discuss the enduring significance of the Mona Lisa and examine what makes it the world’s most famous painting.

Organisers said flexible crowd management measures would be introduced where necessary, including the possibility of timed entry should visitor numbers exceed capacity. Updates will be available via the museum’s official website and social media platforms.

The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the French May Arts Festival, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust as title sponsor and support from the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong.