Singapore Biennale Reveals Artist Lineup for 2025 Edition

The Singapore Biennale has announced the artist lineup for its eighth edition, titled “pure intention,” which is slated to run from October 31 to March 29, 2026. Featuring more than 80 regional and international artists and over 100 works—30 of which are new commissions—the event will explore the island country’s multifaceted identities and urban landscapes. Commissioned by Singapore’s National Arts Council and organized by the Singapore Art Museum (SAM), the biennial will unfurl across multiple venues across the city. Highlights include a kinetic outdoor installation by Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Singaporean artist Guo-Liang Tan along the Rail Corridor; Australian artist Emily Floyd’s sculptural installation at Wessex Castle, which serves as an open-access library; a multimedia soundscape project by Vietnamese American artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen at National Gallery Singapore’s Ng Teng Fong Roof Garden; and French conceptual artist Pierre Huyghe’s sensorial installation at SAM.

Mami Kataoka and Arja Miller to Curate 2027 Helsinki Biennial

The fourth edition of the Helsinki Biennial, slated to open in 2027 in the Finnish capital, will be co-curated by Mami Kataoka and Arja Miller. Currently the director of Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, Kataoka has overseen various international art events, including the ninth Gwangju Biennale (2012), the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018), and the fifth Aichi Triennale (2022). Her curatorial approach centers on social themes and intercultural exchange, as well as cosmic equilibrium. Miller, director of the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM) and the Helsinki Biennial, engages with site-specific art projects that probe universal narratives. In a joint statement, the pair revealed that their curatorial approach aims to “encourag[e] transcultural dialogue and fresh perspectives. . . on the environment and cosmology,” adding that their goal is to “create a polyphonic and thought-provoking biennial that will resonate both locally and internationally.” The event will be held across multiple locations across the city, including HAM and the former military island of Vallisaari.

Recipients for 2026 Judy Wheeler Commission Announced

The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) has announced Jen Berean and James Carey as the recipients of its 2026 Judy Wheeler Commission. Now in its fourth edition, the commission invites an Australian visual artist to create a site-specific work that engages with the PICA building’s architecture and history. Berean and Carey’s winning three-part proposal, titled Water Works, will feature sound-based, sculptural, and conceptual installations exploring the economic, environmental, and cultural significance of water, as well as the internal hydro-infrastructures within PICA. In a press release, the selection panel stated that the pair’s “timely work will expose and softly question the role water plays in Perth’s development culture . . . giving shape and weight to the fragile privilege of access to and use of clean water systems here.” The commission will be on view from February to December 2026. 

Christie’s Appoints Rahul Kadakia As President of Asia Pacific

Christie’s has announced Rahul Kadakia as its new president in the Asia Pacific, effective January 2026. He will succeed Francis Belin, who is stepping down from the position this month after a six-year tenure. Kadakia joined Christie’s in 1996, working in the jewelry department in London before moving to Geneva and New York. Currently the international head of jewelry, he will oversee Christie’s Global Luxury and Asian & World Art Groups upon assuming his new role. Christie’s CEO Bonnie Brennan noted that Kadakia’s appointment “marks our ongoing commitment to Asia Pacific and our faith in his ability to lead the dedicated teams who are based around the region.” In a statement, Kadakia expressed his gratitude: “I look forward to moving to Hong Kong to take on this new important challenge, and I am excited to bring my skills and passion to Christie’s in Asia.”

South Korea Welcomes New Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center

On August 25, the Ha Chong-Hyun Art Center opened its doors to the public in Paju, one of South Korea’s northernmost cities, in Gyeonggi Province. Dedicated to Ha Chong-Hyun—a prominent figure of the Korean monochrome painting movement known as Dansaekhwa—the institution boasts nearly 3,000 square meters across four stories. The center has four exhibition halls, each one showcasing various seminal works from the artist’s six-decade-long career, including his signature Conjunction series (1974– ) as well as more recent projects like his baeapbeop (back-pressure method) paintings. During a press tour, director of Ha Chong-Hyun Art Foundation and the artist’s son, Ha Yoon, described the center’s opening as his father’s “long-held dream,” adding that “the symbolism of Paju as a city in a border region was one of the reasons” for choosing this location.