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Fantasy and folklore has always been central to cultures all over the world, but any Hayao Miyazaki fan will be able to tell you that Asian fantasy is a whole other beast that has had a major global impact on visual culture. M+ is soon unveiling a special exhibition that explores the role of fantasy in Asia against the shifting socio-political realities of the past two centuries, and how artists have been using contemporary visual culture to navigate the times they live in.
More than 400 works are highlighted across art, architecture, fashion, video games, film, and more, showing that fantasy is not just simple escapism – it is a way of reimagining the world altogether. Supernatural, magical, and futuristic stories are created after reflecting on lived experiences and offered as diverse visions of alternative realities to the one we exist in.
The exhibition is arranged chronologically and thematically across four sections so start with pre-modern fantasy in Asian folklore that manifests as deities, ghosts, monsters, and more, mainly to address societal morals or taboos. Aside from Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints, Chinese shadow puppets, and Tibetan Buddhist thangkas, check out a brand-new piece by Helsinki-based Hong Kong artist Oscar Chan, inspired by the deity Zhong Kui, the King of Ghosts.
Walk through the bizarre Surrealism section, brought back to Asia by Asian artists in Europe grappling with the destruction and social instability of wartime, before moving on to post-WWII, when Japanese pop culture started taking hold in international audiences. From Tezuka Osamu’s Astro Boy and the 1954 film Godzilla to iconic manga like Cardcaptor Sakura and anime such as Ghost in the Shell, fantastical worlds are brought to life as spaces to explore loss, social upheaval, and the hope for a better future.
Finally, the globalised present sees artists working across visual arts, design, architecture, moving image, digital culture, and other mediums to tackle pertinent themes like technological anxiety, fluid identities, and reimagined mythologies. This is where you can look through the works of Fujimori Terunobu, Ayoung Kim, Lawrence Lek, Takashi Murakami, Ho Tzu Nyen, Philippe Parreno, and more.
From pedagogical myths to the virtual avatars of the present, see how Asia creatives have long been using fantasy to address real life across the many long years. Aside from admiring the richness of Asia’s visual culture, take a while to think about how fantasy not only enriches, but also actively shapes, contemporary life with new ways of seeing, questioning, and imagining.
‘Myths and Monsters: The Art of Fantasy in Asia’ runs at M+ from October 17 to April 4, 2027. Admission tickets cost a flat price of $190 and grant access to all galleries in the museum, with concessions available. Combo tickets are also available at $250 for one adult and one child, or $400 for two adults and one child.
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