Media Release
POWERHOUSE ANNOUNCES MAJOR INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION WITH M+
Powerhouse is proud to announce a significant new international collaboration with M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture, through the commission of Dancer in the Mirror Field — a new animated film by acclaimed South Korean artist Ayoung Kim.
Premiering on 3 October 2025, the work will debut on the iconic M+ Facade in Hong Kong as part of the museum’s 2025 exhibition program. The 65-metre-tall LED screen, visible across Victoria Harbour, will display Kim’s film nightly until 28 December 2025.
Dancer in the Mirror Field is a speculative fiction film that explores society’s fixation on optimisation and efficiency. Set within a large futuristic structure inspired by Hong Kong’s sleek shopping malls it imagines an annual competition to find the most optimised delivery worker — a reflection on the physical demands of labour in technologically driven economies.
The work forms part of Kim’s acclaimed fiction series Delivery Dancer (2022–ongoing). Kim took interest in the role of delivery drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she was reliant on-demand food delivery services and the gig economy intensified in South Korea.
Throughout the film, recurring elements from Kim’s previous works are interwoven with digital cameos of real objects held in the M+ and Powerhouse collections, presenting fresh and unexpected ways for viewers to engage with the museums' collection and archives.
In 2026 the work will feature in a major opening exhibition that will launch Powerhouse Parramatta.
Artist Ayoung Kim said ‘This new chapter of Delivery Dancer delves into the tensions between individuality, technology and labour. I am delighted the work will be presentedon the M+ Facade prior to its exhibition at Powerhouse Parramatta. Set against Hong Kong’s dense urban fabric, the M+ Facade offers an extraordinary platform that amplifies the concept of the work and invites viewers to glimpse fragments of their everyday lives within it.’
M+ Museum Director Suhanya Raffel said, ‘M+ is delighted to partner with Powerhouse on our joint commission for the M+ Facade, underscoring our shared commitment to supporting visionary artists like Ayoung Kim. The collaboration with Powerhouse embodies the transformative potential of artistic exchange, provoking critical reflection and deepening global dialogue on technology and moving image experience.’
Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah said, ‘This inaugural commission marks the beginning of an exciting partnership with M+, built on our joint commitment to supporting artists to bring ambitious work to new audiences. We’re thrilled to be supporting Ayoung Kim’s major new work and look forward to presenting it at Powerhouse Parramatta as part of our foundational program.’
M+ Curator, Design and Architecture Sunny Cheung and M+ Assistant Curator, Moving Image, Francisco Lo said, ‘Kim’s work is a compelling reflection on the environments that shape our everyday lives. By blending speculative fiction with urban iconography, the work invites audiences to explore how movement, identity, and optimisation are constructed within society. We are particularly excited to see her visual language enriched by architectural references drawn from Hong Kong’s built environment and objects drawn from the collections of M+ and Powerhouse. Premiering on the M+ Facade within the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, the work resonates with the urban landscape as a site of critical inquiry.’
Powerhouse Exhibition Curator Cara Stewart said, ‘Objects are never just objects in Ayoung Kim’s work — they’re portals, protagonists, and provocations. In Dancer in the Mirror Field, objects from the Powerhouse and M+ collections are reimagined as active agents in a speculative world where past and future collide. In this universe, 'beacons' refers both to mythological symbols and GPS devices, weaving together storytelling and technology to explore themes of labour, movement, and identity — ongoing inquiries in Kim’s practice. We’re excited to see this debut presentation set against the iconic backdrop of the Hong Kong skyline, and to present the work at Powerhouse Parramatta next year in a new context.’
PRESS INFORMATION
M+ Facade presents Dancer in the Mirror Field program details: www.mplus.org.hk/en/mplus-facade/dancer-in-the-mirror-field/
Powerhouse and M+ commission: http://powerhouse.com.au/stories/ayoung-kim-s-dancer-in-the-mirror-field-commissioned-by-m-and-powerhouse
Media Contacts
About Powerhouse
Powerhouse sits at the intersection of arts, design, science and technology and plays a critical role in engaging communities with contemporary ideas and issues. We are undertaking a landmark $1.2 billion infrastructure renewal program, spearheaded by the creation of the new museum, Powerhouse Parramatta; expanded research and public facilities at Powerhouse Castle Hill; the renewal of the iconic Powerhouse Ultimo; and the ongoing operation of Sydney Observatory. The museum is custodian to over half a million objects of national and international significance and is considered one of the finest and most diverse collections in Australia. We are also undertaking an expansive digitisation project that will provide new levels of access to the Powerhouse Collection.
About Ayoung Kim
Ayoung Kim (born 1979, South Korea) is a Seoul-based multidisciplinary artist who works across installation, sound, performance, and moving image. Her celebrated Delivery Dancer series investigates mythology, navigation systems, and optimisation technologies. Kim has exhibited her work in many biennials, festivals, and institutions, including Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2025); Tate Modern, London (2025); Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2025); National Asian Cultural Centre, Gwangju (2024-2025); Museum of Modern Art, New York (2024); Sharjah Biennial 15 (2023); Ars Electronica Festival, Linz (2023); and the 56th Venice Biennale (2015). Kim is a recipient of the LG Guggenheim Award, New York (2025); ACC Future Prize, Gwangju (2024); Golden Nica Award, Prix Ars Electronica, Linz(2023); and Terayama Shuji Prize, 37th Image ForumFestival, Tokyo (2023); among others.
About The M+ Facade Commissions
The M+ Facade is an expansive, light-powered canvas featuring thousands of LEDs on the south face of the M+ building, making it one of the largest media screens in the world. Overlooking Victoria Harbour, the facade showcases a dynamic mix of works from the M+ Collections, moving image commissions, and the museum’s identity, offering moments of play, humour, poetry, intellectual reflection, and artistic contemplation to thousands of onlookers each evening. Throughout the year, M+ collaborates with leading artists from all over the world, commissioning works for the facade that champion new moving image practices and deepen the museum’s connection with a global audience. These commissions speak to M+’s role as a pioneering global museum of contemporary visual culture engaged with technology and digital media while contributing to the thriving arts scene in Hong Kong.
About About M+
M+ is Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture. Located in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK), it is dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting visual art, design and architecture, moving image, and Hong Kong visual culture of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The landmark M+ building on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbourfront was designed by the world-renowned architectural firm Herzog & de Meuron in partnership with TFP Farrells and Arup. It spans a total floor area of 65,000 square metres, featuring thirty-three galleries alongside a Learning Hub, Moving Image Centre, Research Centre, and Roof Garden, among other event and programming spaces. The M+ Facade is one of the largest LED screens in the world, showcasing commissioned artworks on the Hong Kong skyline every evening. The museum stewards a multidisciplinary permanent collection that includes objects from regions across Asia and beyond. A highlight is the M+ Sigg Collection, one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Chinese contemporary art. Today, M+ is a nexus for researching and presenting contemporary visual culture, inspiring thought and curiosity.