The best things to do in Hong Kong this week (Mar 17-23)

From now to July 13, Airside is hosting ‘The World of ASMR’ exhibition that was at London’s Design Museum. This will be the Kai Tak venue’s first time collaborating with an international museum since its opening, and we’re so excited that it’s going to be this special exhibition on the euphoria or calm triggered by sound, touch, and movement. This immersive experience delves into the crackles, pops, feather brushes, whispers, and tappy noises that have become a whole culture and community around the world. Showing over 40 works by contemporary artists, ASMRtists, and designers, the Hong Kong edition also features newly commissioned works by local artists which capture our city’s unique auditory identity. The highlight of the show is a sculpture of wavy, bendy pillows woven together to form over a kilometre of squishy comfort, where visitors can lounge while watching various ASMR-related videos. There’s even an entire room dedicated to Bob Ross, who many in the community dub the ‘Godfather of ASMR’.  Don’t forget to try your hand at creating your own ASMR noises before you leave! Tickets to this exhibition at Gate33 Gallery cost $30.

The ‘Van Gogh Alive’ immersive art experience has travelled to over 100 cities around the world, and it’s returning to our shores on March 10. This exhibition stimulates the senses of sight, sound, and smell to fully bring visitors into Post-Impressionist master Vincent van Gogh’s artistic journey.  3,000 paintings and images including famous Van Gogh classics like ‘Sunflowers’, ‘Starry Night’, and ‘Wheatfield with Crows’ are waiting to be experienced in an elevated way, with approximately 30 giant screens working together to project, break down, and enhance the paintings. Projected simultaneously across walls, columns, and floors, visitors can feel like they’re actually wandering through the world created through his bold brush strokes. Apart from a redesigned layout that utilises more of the exhibition space than when the exhibition came to Hong Kong in 2019, this return also presents something new in the debut of ‘AI Van Gogh’; the technology brings the artist back to life and generates paintings in the Impressionist style for visitors to walk into. Classical music from Schubert and Bach will enhance the enjoyment of the artwork, while special scents are also used to heighten the immersive experience, evoking florals when viewing ‘Sunflowers’ or a fresh breeze in ‘Starry Night’. Early-bird tickets are available until February 27 for $160. Thereafter, the standard price will be $190, with concessions available. Note that tickets to ‘Van Gogh Alive’ do not include entry...

The famous Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie in Paris have collaborated with the Hong Kong Museum of Art to present this special exhibition on two of the greatest masters of the Impressionist art movement: Paul Cézanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.  This is the first large-scale exhibition of the two Impressionists in Hong Kong, showcasing 52 masterpieces on loan from France. See how the pair found innovative ways to reinvent the art of their time, how they viewed the world, and how they captured the rapidly changing times around them. Cézanne and Renoir were also longtime friends and likely influenced each other’s works, as well as later becoming beacons of inspiration for later painters such as Spanish surrealist master Pablo Picasso. The Cézanne and Renoir exhibition will run from January 17 to May 7. Tickets are priced at $50, with concessions available. Note that the Hong Kong Museum of Art is closed on Thursdays as well as the first two days of Chinese New Year (January 29-30). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Hong Kong (@timeouthk)

Struggling to sleep? The UK’s Poetry Pharmacy has teamed up with Lush to bring their Sleeping Menu to Hong Kong, offering poetic prescriptions and soothing products to help you unwind and find rest. From now until April 13, visit the pop-up at Lush’s Great George Street store in Causeway Bay (12nn–9.30pm) and choose from 10 poetic prescriptions ($95 each) designed to tackle insomnia, stress, and more. Alternatively, opt for the First Aid Kit for Sleep ($265) featuring three curated poems. Pair your prescription with Lush’s calming products like the Deep Sleep massage bar and Twilight body spray for the ultimate wind-down routine. Founded by Deborah Alma, the Poetry Pharmacy uses poetry as a remedy to help you pause, reflect, and relax.  All poetry bottles are handmade and available in limited quantities until sold out.

Visit this special exhibition at M+ to see more than 60 masterpieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso spanning from the late 1890s to the early 1970s. Co-curated with the Musée national Picasso-Paris (MnPP), which holds the largest repository of Picasso’s work in the world, this is the first time that pieces from the MnPP are being shown together with works from an Asian museum collection. By placing Picasso’s work in dialogue with Asian contemporary art – approximately 80 works by more than 20 Asian and Asian-diasporic artists – the master’s enduring influence on art to this day is highlighted. Split into four sections that show how Picasso fits into four artist stereotypes – such as the genius in his self-mythologising works, and the outsider with how he consistently chose to upend artistic styles and traditions – this exhibition explores how Picasso became the quintessential modern 20th-century artist.  Tickets cost $240, with half-price concessions and adult-and-child combo deals available. Visitors with special exhibition tickets can also access the ‘Guo Pei: Fashioning Imagination’ exhibition, as well as all M+ general admission exhibitions starting from March 15.

ArtisTree has teamed up with globally celebrated multidisciplinary artist Sara Shakeel for 'ArtisTree Selects: The Jewel System', a stunning showcase of two art installations. Known for her dazzling digital art, Shakeel brings her work into the physical world with embroidered pieces that blend ancient craftsmanship with cosmic themes. At ArtisTree, visitors can explore The Jewel System, a vibrant embroidered map of planets adorned with crystals and metallic threads. Over at Two Taikoo Place, experience Genesis in Jewels, an artistic take on the Big Bang using layered fabrics and suspended crystals. Both pieces explore humanity’s connection to the universe, mixing tradition with modern creativity. Drop by before it ends on April 27 and immerse yourself in Shakeel's celestial world.

Mixed media artist and celebrated designer of the luxury brand Chrome Hearts Joe Foti will be in Hong Kong for his first solo exhibition in town with over 180 of his works. From alien-themed pieces and odd bits and bobs that somehow fit when collaged together, to risqué birdhouses and penis paper weights, there is so much to tickle and amuse in this exhibition. Though described by the gallery as “one part fever dream, two parts nostalgia, and a whole load of ‘what the f*ck is that?’”, there’s no denying that Foti’s work is whimsical, absurd, and all the more appealing because of it.

From now to April 13, visit Airside in Kai Tak for an immersive experience that will transport you back in time to a lawless, gritty corner of our city in the 80s. Based on the movie Twilight of the Warriors, a neo-noir martial arts action film set in the dim, dangerous precinct of the old Kowloon Walled City, the exhibition has painstakingly recreated sets from the movie to give a taste of what life would have been like back then. From a bing sutt coffee and tea shop and a barbershop to a comic stall, dental clinic, tailor shop, and more, all the designs and props, down to the price tags on items, were modelled on historical pieces from Hong Kong in the 80s to fully immerse visitors in the bygone era of the Kowloon Walled City. The dim alleys and indoor locations have been integrated with sound effects and actors’ dialogues, so if you enjoyed Twilight of the Warriors, then this exhibition will be a real treat. Spot Easter eggs hidden throughout the exhibition such as miniature models of the movie characters, and don’t miss the dining and retail stalls, where you can buy iconic dishes from Hong Kong food stalls served in nostalgic takeaway containers.

Hong Kong Disneyland's annual Duffy and Friends Play Days return from now to May 7, 2025. This year, Duffy and his lovable friends are inviting fans and explorers to embark on an adventure around the park with their favourite plushies, starting from Main Street Station and Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad to various parts of the resort.  Look out for five new photo spots at iconic locations, where special seats have been set up for your plushies; make a stop at the Castle of Magical Dreams for a seasonal exclusive show, 'The Joy of Sharing'; and indulge in themed snacks like the CookieAnn train popcorn bucket and the giant ice cream sundae at Main Street Corner Cafe. Be sure to take home a piece of the magic with exclusive souvenirs like plushies, bag charms, keychains, and headbands from the Duffy and Friends Sweet Springtime Explorations series.

The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) is currently holding a joint exhibition with the Palace of Versailles with approximately 150 magnificent pieces to peruse. This is the first time that treasures from the Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles – both World Heritage Sites – will be featured in one exhibition in Hong Kong. With themes spanning culture, arts, science, technology, and beyond in the royal courts of France and China, visitors can expect to admire portraits, porcelain pieces, glassware, enamelware, textiles, books, scientific instruments, and more. Look out for first-grade national treasures from the Palace Museum in Beijing, such as a chrysanthemum teapot gifted to the Qianlong Emperor that was recently discovered to be made in France, and a quiver and bow case with French-made brocade. Highlights flown over from the Palace of Versailles include a perfume fountain – the only Chinese porcelain piece that Louis XV was known to have owned – and a portrait plaque of Qianlong that Louis XVI had displayed in his study. Tickets for this special exhibition are priced at $150, with concessions available. Holders of HKPM’s Full Access Ticket can also access The Origins of Chinese Civilisation exhibition at a combined price of $180.