M+ Museum, West Kowloon｜M+ Facade unveils 'Shahzia Sikander: 3 to 12 Nautical Miles', a hand-painted animation exploring global trade and power dynamics, co-commissioned by M+ and Art Basel, and presented by UBS

Description

M+, Asia’s global museum of contemporary visual culture in the West Kowloon Cultural District (WestK) in Hong Kong, is proud to present 3 to 12 Nautical Miles (2026) by Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander. Co-commissioned by M+ and Art Basel, and presented by UBS, this radiant cinematic tableau, animated from hand-painted images, navigates the enduring currents of power and trade that have shaped the global landscape from the nineteenth century to the modern era. The work will be shown on the M+ Facade every night from Monday, 23 March to Sunday, 21 June 2026. The commission marks the fifth consecutive year of collaboration between M+ and Art Basel, presented by UBS, in activating the M+ Facade.

In 3 to 12 Nautical Miles, Sikander traces the entangled histories of empire, trade, and maritime power that linked the British East India Company, Mughal India, and Qing China. This animation charts the decline of Mughal authority under Akbar II, the internal strains of the Qing dynasty, and the East India Company’s rise from commercial venture to territorial power. Within this context, the work interrogates Britain’s opium cultivation in India, its coercive trade with China, and the First Opium War, exposing the mechanisms of imperial extraction and the deep power asymmetries between Britain and China at the time.

Featured on the M+ Facade, Sikander’s animation magnifies the painted gestures, objects, and symbols that signal how authority was constructed, distributed, and contested, from Indian fields and ports to Chinese treaty cities and British naval power. It also examines how authority remains vulnerable, especially in places like the sea, where boundaries are never fully fixed. Grounded in research on China trade art at the Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Maritime Museum, the work is rooted in historical detail and visual specificity. Through these complex histories, Sikander highlights empire as an interconnected global imperial economy built of coercion, extraction, and shifting power.

Suhanya Raffel, Museum Director, M+, says, ‘As we mark our fifth year of collaboration with Art Basel and UBS, we are thrilled to showcase a work on the M+ Facade that thoughtfully explores the interplay between empire, power, and trade within a transnational, historical context. Shahzia Sikander’s practice, rooted in Central and South Asian miniature painting, offers a distinctive perspective on past and present globalisation through art. Presenting this commission on the M+ Facade reaffirms our commitment to innovative moving image practices and highlighting the diverse trajectories of Asian artists. This project explores the nuanced, multifaceted colonial history of Asia, underscoring the museum’s role in tracing cultural development in the region, fostering dialogue with audiences locally and globally.’

Angelle Siyang-Le, Director, Art Basel Hong Kong, says, ‘It has always been our goal to act as a connector, bringing together the private and public sectors to create spaces where meaningful intersections spark collaboration and innovation. Our ongoing partnership with M+ and UBS truly embodies this vision. Seeing Shahzia Sikander’s work transform the M+ Facade and engage contemporary art with civic space is incredibly rewarding. It invites audiences to pause and reflect on urgent global themes in an increasingly interconnected world. Projects like this remind us why art matters—it opens conversations that transcend boundaries and bring people together.’

Amy Lo, Chairman, Global Wealth Management Asia, Head and Chief Executive, UBS Hong Kong, says, ‘For five consecutive years, our partnership with M+ and Art Basel has stood as a powerful testament to UBS's enduring commitment to the arts and to fostering cultural dialogue. Shahzia Sikander's newly commissioned work exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship and invites us to engage deeply and thoughtfully with the intricacies of our shared histories. Together, we celebrate the power of art not only to illuminate the past, but also to inspire compelling narratives that help us build a more interconnected future.’

Ulanda Blair, Curator, Moving Image, M+, says ‘By reimagining the intimacy of miniature painting on this monumental scale, Sikander’s animation presents exciting new possibilities for storytelling and interdisciplinary visual culture in the public realm. Watercolour, as the work’s central medium, serves as a bridge across territories and time, fluidly connecting historical memory to contemporary experience. Through densely layered imagery, viewers are invited to reflect on Hong Kong’s dynamic history of international exchange and the often opaque systems that continue to influence economies today.’

Shahzia Sikander says, ‘This commission to create a new work for M+’s iconic facade has offered me an opportunity to extend my previous projects in Hong Kong into a deeper historical inquiry. 3 to 12 Nautical Miles traces the city’s emergence at a locus of intersecting empires, markets, and cultures, where the opium trade and the sea converged. This time-based cinematic work echoes the idea of the sea through ink, movement, and particle systems, alluding to water and ocean as conduits of imperial power, commercial exchange, and political control.’

Public programmes and limited-edition merchandise

In conjunction with the commission, the artist will present a free illustrated lecture about her trailblazing art practice on Thursday, 26 March at 17:00, in the M+ Cinema. The lecture will be held in English, and no prior registration is required. Further details will be announced on the M+ website.

As part of Art Basel Hong Kong's Premiere Artist Talk, Sikander will discuss her unique perspective on power, trade, and global exchange in a conversation with Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator of M+, on Wednesday, 25 March, at 15:00 in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Timed to coincide with the unveiling of her work 3 to 12 Nautical Miles on the M+ Facade, this free event offers deeper insights into the brand-new work. Further details will be announced on the Art Basel website.

A selection of the artist’s earlier animations, created over the past two decades, will be presented as free drop-in screenings, all day, every day from Tuesday, 24 March to Sunday, 29 March, also in the M+ Cinema. The programme includes a series of short animations and is designed to give audiences added insights into the development of her moving image practice over this period. Further details of the screening programme will be announced on the M+ website.

For the first time, a limited-edition T-shirt in two designs, featuring images from 3 to 12 Nautical Miles will be available at the M+ Shop and online, as well as the physical and online Art Basel Shop.

For details of the 3 to 12 Nautical Miles on the M+ Facade, please refer to the M+ website.

*Images provided by the artist.