Singaporean curator Low Kee Hong has been tapped as artistic director of the 26th Biennale of Sydney, which is slated to open on March 11, 2028. This marks the first time that a person of Southeast Asian descent will helm the event.

Low brings more than two decades of leadership experience to the role. He is currently creative director of Manchester-based Factory International, which he joined in 2022. Prior, he was head of theater, performing arts at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority from 2014 to 2022. Low has also held key positions at various cultural institutions in Singapore, serving as artistic director and general manager of the Singapore Arts Festival (2010–12), founding director and general manager of the Singapore Biennale (2005–09), and associate artistic director of TheatreWorks (2002–05). Among his most recent curatorial projects is Ai Weiwei’s ongoing survey at Factory International, titled “Button Up!,” for which Low co-created the Chinese dissident artist’s 24-hour live performance Sewing a Button (2026). 

For the forthcoming Biennale of Sydney, Low will gather artists from Australia and beyond for a cross-disciplinary exhibition of works spanning art, music, architecture, theater, literature, fashion, food, and more. 

In a statement, Low said, “My hope is to create an edition that feels generous, proposing new ways of assembly and rebuilding communities, and celebrating our capacity for joy in these challenging times.” He added that the forthcoming biennale “will embrace participation and discovery, inviting people from all walks of life to share in the experience.”

Yuqian Fan is an editorial assistant at ArtAsiaPacific.