Mona Lisa immersive exhibition opens in Hong Kong as part of French May 2026, reconstructing Leonardo da Vinci’s creative process with VR, infrared and X ray scans, digital reconstructions and original manuscript sheets, organizers said.
Mona Lisa immersive exhibition, what to expect
French May’s centerpiece exhibition, titled “Encountering the Mona Lisa, a Renaissance Recreation,” was co organized by the Louvre Museum, Grand Palais Immersif in Paris and the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, French May organizers said in a press release.
The Mona Lisa immersive exhibition uses historical research alongside digital technology to unfold Leonardo da Vinci’s working methods, from initial sketches to fine detail work, they said.
How the show reconstructs the painting
The exhibition presents scientific imaging results, including infrared, ultraviolet and X ray scans, combined with digital reconstructions to reveal underdrawings, compositional changes and paint layer textures that are normally hidden beneath the surface, organizers said.
Visitors can see early layout drawings, the textural changes pigments undergo over time and the traces of multiple revisions. The displays also explain how sfumato works, showing how layered glazes create soft transitions that give the portrait depth and three dimensional presence.
Manuscripts, loans and interactive elements
The show includes four sheets from the Codex Atlanticus, giving visitors rare access to Leonardo’s notebooks and thought process, the museum said. The presentation also brings together paintings and sculpture from the Musée national de la Renaissance and the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana to create a fuller Renaissance context.
The exhibition reviews the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from several historical angles and includes interactive painting installations so visitors can participate in creative exercises and better appreciate the techniques on display, French May program notes said.
What curators and ambassadors said about the experience
Karena Lam (林嘉欣), cultural ambassador for French May, described seeing the Mona Lisa up close during a closed museum session as unforgettable. “The experience was unforgettable,” she said in a statement, “it was completely different from viewing the work behind a crowd.”
Lam said the Mona Lisa immersive exhibition, by combining immersive display techniques with VR and AI tools, offers audiences a new, interactive way to engage with the painting and to understand its finer details and creative evolution.
Exhibition dates: May 1 to July 27, 2026. Venue: Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Sha Tin, first floor, Special Exhibition Halls 3, 4 and 5. Hours: Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free, French May organizers said. For the latest schedule consult frenchmay.com.
French May 2026 highlights beyond the exhibition
French May 2026, themed “Renaissance Again,” presents exhibitions, music and performing arts across the city, festival organizers said. The program includes outdoor and indoor events that span classical music, dance, jazz and contemporary circus.
Outdoor electronic music event: On May 8 DJ Snake will headline an outdoor electronic music concert along the Victoria Harbour waterfront, with lighting and a multi act lineup that includes Higher Brothers, three time China DMC champion DJ Wordy and opening sets by DJ Fabsabs and DJ Steffunn, French May program notes said.
Classical and chamber music
The festival presents the Korean pianist Sin Jyu Jeoi kyun (鮮于睿權) with the Quatuor Aiermiir from Paris, according to French May materials. The program includes Ravel’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales,” Franck’s Piano Quintet and works by Debussy and Beethoven, demonstrating a range from piano solo to chamber ensemble.
Jazz and cross cultural collaborations
Ro Yuen syun (羅玧宣), praised as a leading Korean jazz vocalist, will perform with French pianist Bojan Z, reinterpreting material from artists ranging from Björk to Nina Simone. The program blends Balkan rhythms with jazz language to create layered cross cultural arrangements, the festival said.
Dance and contemporary circus
The Hong Kong Dance Company presents “Between Lines, a Wu Guanzhong Ink Journey,” inspired by the hybrid work of Wu Guanzhong (吳冠中). The piece, choreographed by Yeung Wan to (楊雲濤) with music and performance contribution from Ivana Wong (王菀之), and collaborations with French artists Dominique Drillot and Sophie Laly, translates brushwork into staged movement and light, the company said.
The CNAC French National Centre for Circus Arts brings VOÛTE, described as a fusion of circus, music and visual art that explores emotional tension and human interaction, creating a layered sensory progression through movement, light and live sound, the center said.
For full program details and ticketing updates consult the festival’s official site at frenchmay.com, French May organizers said.
