Islamic Arts Biennale 2027 Names Lead Curators

The Diriyah Biennale Foundation has announced four curators to lead the third edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, set to open on November 1, 2027. Nada Raza, director of the Alserkal Arts Foundation; William Robinson, former head of the Islamic art department at Christie’s; Alain Fouad George, the I. M. Pei Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Oxford and founding director of the Lusail Institute in Doha; and Idries Trevathan, the former chief curator of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, will each present a separate exhibition offering an individual perspective on the arts and cultural landscape of the Islamic world. The Islamic Arts Biennale will return to the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Imelda Cajipe Endaya Named National Artist of the Philippines

Filipina artist Imelda Cajipe Endaya was conferred the Order of National Artists of the Philippines for Visual Arts, making her the first woman to receive the honor. The 77-year-old artist is renowned for her social realist paintings, printmaking, and installations exploring the struggles of Philippine society, from gender and labor inequality to cultural identity, as well as concepts of migration, globalization, and diasporic community dynamics. The Order was established in 1972 to recognize individuals who have significantly contributed to the arts in the Philippines. In a statement, Endaya expressed her gratitude for the distinction, looking with enthusiasm toward the future of feminist art in her homeland: “People say I have just broken a glass ceiling. There should be more successful women artists after me.”

Creative Australia Reveals 2026 Fellowship Recipients

Creative Australia has announced 16 recipients of its 2026 Fellowships, spanning visual art, literature, performance, music, and First Nations arts. Among the beneficiaries are Wiradjuri musician Zeppelin Hamilton, playwright Jane Harrison, visual artist Angela Valamanesh, vocalist and composer Katie Noonan, Samoan performance and experimental artist Brian Fuata, and poet Judith Bishop, each receiving AUD 80,000 for a period of up to two years. Creative Australia executive director Alice Nash said the Fellowships “give artists the time and space to take creative risks, develop ambitious new work, build connections, and contribute to the strength and diversity of the arts across Australia.”

Yona Lee Awarded PICA’s 2027 Judy Wheeler Commission

The Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA) has announced Yona Lee as the recipient of its 2027 Judy Wheeler Commission. The Korean-born, Auckland-based artist will create a site-specific installation made of stainless-steel tubing and everyday objects engaging with the architecture of PICA’s first floor. The piece will wind through the space in an unbroken line, continuing Lee’s exploration into how people interact with their surroundings. In a statement, Lee said, “I’ve been thinking about support structures and objects that quietly shape how we move through institutional spaces. . . . I wanted to work with that language and respond to the building’s history as both a former school and a contemporary art space.” Established in 2022, the annual commission is named after the late Judy Wheeler, who was a keen supporter of the arts in Australia. 

Alicja Kwade’s Public Installation at Tai Kwun Vandalized

A section of Waiting Pavilions (2024), a public art installation by Polish-born, Berlin-based artist Alicja Kwade currently on display at Hong Kong’s Tai Kwun, was found vandalized on the morning of September 20. A large boulder, originally positioned on a Monobloc chair, was found separated and lying on the ground nearby. Commissioned by Tai Kwun, the outdoor installation is Kwade’s first site-specific work in Hong Kong and has been on view since December 20, 2024, with a run scheduled through late 2026. It comprises glass brick structures and Monobloc chairs each paired with a boulder, and draws on the Prison Yard’s history as a site of waiting and confinement. Local police have classified the incident as criminal damage, with an investigation currently underway. The work has since been restored and remains on view.