NewJeans, Zhu Zhu, Karen Mok: Why Asian stars are becoming the voice of museums

Her love of contemporary art has also recently come into the spotlight, as she posted works from her collection on Xiaohongshu, an Instagram-like social media platform popular in mainland China. These include Edward Hopper-esque photographs by Chinese photo artist Huang Xiaoliang, which she collected early in her career; a neon light work by Tracey Emin; and still lifes by Hilary Pecis, which she has collected more recently.

She was in Rome to present the audio guide that accompanies the exhibition “Louise Bourgeois: Unconscious Memories,” continuing the museum’s tradition of presenting contemporary artists in dialogue with its 400-year-old collection.

Lang Xiao is a London-based PR specialist who facilitated the collaboration. “Although I had always heard of Zhu Zhu as an art collector through Xiaohongshu, it wasn’t until I saw a video where she described her collection as a way to capture emotions – including that of motherhood – that I felt she was perfect for the role,” she says.

“This connection was particularly fitting for the exhibition. One of Louise Bourgeois’ best-known series, The Cells, explores her childhood memories and emotions, and Zhu Zhu’s experiences as a mother and her multifaceted life as an actress reflected the raw vulnerability that Bourgeois explored in these works.”

According to a recent Xinhua article, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Italy is expected to reach and even surpass the record of around 3.5 million set in 2019. Popular destinations include Rome and Venice.

But Lang says the museum, one of the most popular in Rome, is still happy to welcome more Chinese visitors.

“With Zhu Zhu, we not only want to encourage Chinese audiences to include the museum in their itinerary when visiting Italy or after Art Basel, but also to draw the attention of Chinese students or expats in the country to the exhibition,” says Lang.

In Hong Kong, Mok provided audio guides in English, Cantonese and Mandarin for an exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. “The Adorned Body: French Fashion and Jewellery 1770-1910,” which includes works on loan from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, opened on June 26.

In July 2023, Chinese supermodel Cici Xiang, known for her advertising campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Chanel, came to Hong Kong to moderate the opening discussion of “Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China,” an exhibition at the M+ Museum of Visual Culture. Xiang is a renowned expert in the art world and an artist, curator and partner of the Star Gallery in Beijing.

Meanwhile, the British Museum recently announced that K-pop girl group NewJeans has recorded an audio introduction for its Korean gallery.

According to Yiman Lin, Senior Product Manager (Mobile Digital) at the British Museum, downloads of the Korean Gallery audio guide on the museum’s app have increased tenfold since the NewJeans version was launched in mid-May. Priced at £4.99, it has become the fourth most popular guide on the museum’s app.

While celebrity collaborations are by no means a new concept for museums and other art institutions, there has been a rise in collaborations with Asian stars.

Auction house Sotheby’s was an early adopter of this strategy. In 2016, it partnered with Korean star TOP to organize an art auction that significantly exceeded expectations: all 28 works sold for a total of $17.4 million, well above the $11.5 million estimate.

Taiwanese singer Jay Chou has also been courted by auction houses and has worked as a curator for auctions at both Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

These examples show that the loyal fan base built by Asian celebrities benefits art institutions in more ways than just increasing visitor numbers, Lang says. Western museums, for example, are particularly keen to sell traveling exhibitions to China, where many venues are hungry for world-class content, she explains.

The collaboration with Zhu serves the Galleria Borghese in two ways, Lang adds. “It fosters a connection between the exhibition and the Chinese public, while also raising the profile of the Galleria Borghese in the Chinese museum and art world.”

While financial reasons are undeniable given the budget cuts facing museums around the world, such collaborations offer more than just increased revenue – they can also stimulate young people’s interest in culture.

The goal is to “bring people together with the collection and with each other and open up conversations in which everyone can participate,” says Lin.

Lang echoes this sentiment, stressing that art exhibitions, even those with big names, can provide audiences with different perspectives and promote cultural inclusion. Working with celebrities therefore has the potential to broaden cultural engagement and understanding.