The TarraWarra Museum of Art in Healesville has appointed Mikala Tai as curator of the 10th TarraWarra Biennial, which is slated to open in 2027. Drawing on her long-term engagement with Australian and Asian contemporary art, Tai will anchor the exhibition in a transnational framework, examining questions of cultural belonging and collective futures.  

After receiving a PhD in contemporary Chinese art from the University of New South Wales in 2015, Tai has held senior roles across key institutions in Sydney, including serving as director of the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (2015–20) and as head of visual arts at Creative Australia (2020–25). In the latter position, she was project director for Archie Moore’s Golden Lion-winning “kith and kin,” showcased in the Australia Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Previously, she served at the National Gallery of Victoria in Southbank and at Para Site in Hong Kong. A member of Sydney’s Public Art Advisory Panel, Tai has also taught and lectured at Monash University, the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and the universities of Sydney and Melbourne. 

Having spent part of her early childhood in TarraWarra, Tai described the appointment as a meaningful return: “I feel a responsibility to this place, where my imagination awakened and my first friendships were formed . . . The TarraWarra Biennial has long been an exceptional exhibition, engaging with the complexity and ongoing evolution of contemporary Australia, and I feel honored to be collaborating with artists to present the next edition.”

Victoria Lynn, director of TarraWarra Museum of Art, added in a press release: “[Tai’s] thoughtful and open curatorial approach, combined with a strong commitment to contemporary practice, will ensure the development of a considered and original biennial . . . that resonates with a broad, diverse audience.”

The 10th TarraWarra Biennial is set to run from July 31 to November 14, 2027.

Emmanuelle Richter is an editorial intern at ArtAsiaPacific.