Hong Kong’s M+ museum has announced South Korean artist Ayoung Kim’s speculative fiction film, Dancer in the Mirror Field (2025), as its latest commission for the M+ Facade overlooking Victoria Harbour. Co-commissioned by M+ and Sydney’s forthcoming Powerhouse Parramatta, this project marks the first collaboration between the two institutions.

Ayoung Kim is a Seoul-based multidisciplinary artist who works across moving image, sound, installation, and performance. In her research-based practice, she frequently uses AI, virtual reality, and game simulation to investigate the sociopolitical impacts of emerging technologies. 

Dancer in the Mirror Field is the latest addition to Kim’s acclaimed Delivery Dancer project (2022– ) and reflects on the gig economy, navigation systems, and optimization algorithms. The moving-image work continues the journey of Ernst Mo—a fictional female delivery rider and the main character of the series—who races through a futuristic city for a delivery competition with two other versions of herself. Moreover, amid the neon-lit urban scenery inspired by Hong Kong streets and malls, digital cameos of real objects from the collections of M+ and Powerhouse Parramatta will appear alongside visuals of Kim’s previous works.  

Commenting on the commission, Kim stated in a press release that “this new chapter of Delivery Dancer delves into the tensions between individuality, technology, and labor. . . .  Set against Hong Kong’s dense urban fabric, the M+ Facade offers an extraordinary platform that amplifies the concept of Dancer in the Mirror Field and invites viewers to glimpse fragments of their everyday lives within it.”

The film will be screened on the M+ Facade from October 3 to December 28 before its showcase at Powerhouse Parramatta next year.

Yuqian Fan is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.