The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series:
Meet Mona Lisa & Portraying the Renaissance

Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and French May Arts Festival
Jointly organised by Hong Kong Heritage Museum and French May Arts Festival
Title Sponsor: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust 
Supported by the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong 

Meet Mona Lisa
Jointly produced by Musée du Louvre and Grand Palais Immersif
Scientific direction: Vincent Delieuvin
Creative direction: Mathilde Adrien-Babillon

Portraying the Renaissance
Curatorial expertise: Thierry Crépin-Leblond and Matteo Gianeselli
Participating Organisations: Musée national de la Renaissance – Château d’Ecouen, Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Ateliers d’art Grand Palais RMN and Atelier de Chalcographie du Louvre

Project Grant: the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports, and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government
Digital Display Partner: LG Electronics HK
Sponsors: SOGO Hong Kong Company Limited, Wheelock Properties

The exhibition, centred around Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece the Mona Lisa, is divided into two main sections: Meet Mona Lisa, and Portraying the Renaissance. Its digital media and interactive installations, newly tailored to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, take visitors on a journey through time to explore the extraordinary stories behind the Mona Lisa. The exhibition also features carefully selected Renaissance art treasures from prominent cultural institutions in France and Italy, helping viewers gain a deeper understanding of how this significant cultural movement permeated many different aspects of daily life.

The Meet Mona Lisa section, divided into six chapters covering over five hundred years, retraces the extraordinary journey of the Mona Lisa. The lady herself personally guides visitors as they explore the stories behind the Mona Lisa, and trace its evolution from a commissioned portrait that Leonardo da Vinci kept working on throughout his life but never delivered to his sponsor, to its transformation into a globally captivating cultural icon.

The Portraying the Renaissance section highlights a selection of Renaissance art treasures on loan from renowned museums and cultural institutions in France and Italy, including four priceless Leonardo da Vinci manuscripts. These diverse art exhibits, which include paintings, prints, sculptures, decorative art, and everyday objects, offer visitors a glimpse into the surging creativity of this humanistic movement. Also featured are three items from the collection of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum as well as paintings by mainland artist Xu Lei that echo the aesthetics of Renaissance art, generating a dialogue across time and space and highlighting the incredible influence of a cultural movement that originated back in 14th-century Europe.

This exhibition is a highlight programme of French May Arts Festival 2026. During the exhibition period, a series of talks by experts will also be held for audiences to gain a broader perspective on the cultivated allure of Renaissance art.

In addition, the French May Arts Festival has produced a special two-episode video series, “Exhibition Walkthrough with the Curator”, for the exhibition. The series features Vincent Delieuvin, Scientific Director of “Meet Mona Lisa” and Chief Curator of 16th-Century Italian Paintings at the Musée du Louvre, and Matteo Gianeselli, Curatorial Expert of “Portraying the Renaissance” and Curator of Musée National de la Renaissance, each guiding viewers through an in-depth exploration of their respective sections. Scroll down to “Online Programme” to watch the videos.

Special Programmes

Please note that some works in this exhibition contain nudity. Visitors under 18 are recommended to be accompanied by adults.

None of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, their respective affiliates or any other person involved in or related to the compilation of the contents herein (collectively, “the HKJC Parties”) makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of the contents or as to the results that may be obtained by the use thereof. In no event shall any HKJC Party have any liability of any kind to any person or entity arising from or related to any actions taken or not taken as a result of any of the contents herein.

The content of this programme does not reflect the views of the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau.