Hong Kong opens modern art museum as security law casts pall

Multibillion-dollar M+ struggles to find a balance between artistic expression and political censorship

A senior Hong Kong cultural official said freedom of expression was not above a China-imposed national security law, on the eve of the opening of a contemporary art museum intended to put the city on the global cultural map.

The multibillion-dollar M+, featuring contemporary artwork from leading Chinese, Asian and western artists, is Hong Kong's attempt to match museums such as Tate Modern in London, New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.