Former Venice Biennale Director Cecilia Alemani to Curate 2027 Taipei Biennial

Taipei's Museum of Contemporary Art announced Tuesday it has invited Cecilia Alemani, a globally recognized curator, to direct the 2027 Taipei Biennial. Alemani, who resides in New York, previously served as the artistic director for the Venice International Art Biennale and has led New York's High Line Art program since 2011.

This marks Alemani's first curatorial project in Asia. The Taipei Biennial, established in 1998, is a major contemporary art exhibition in the region. It addresses pressing global issues like societal changes, politics, ecology, and technology through cross-border collaborations and experimental exhibitions, promoting dialogue between Taiwan and international art circles.

"We believe Alemani's curatorial vision will bring a compelling exhibition structure," said Museum Director Luo Li-chen. "While responding to the city's unique cultural context, it will also allow local audiences to engage deeply with important global contemporary art issues."

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We believe Alemani's curatorial vision will bring a compelling exhibition structure. While responding to the city's unique cultural context, it will also allow local audiences to engage deeply with important global contemporary art issues.

Alemani's extensive curatorial experience focuses on large-scale commissioned works, interdisciplinary thinking, and reimagining public spaces. Her projects often bridge historical and contemporary perspectives, exploring culture, memory, identity, and imagination. She has a particular interest in uncovering overlooked voices, especially those of women artists and non-mainstream practices. At High Line Art, she commissioned numerous large public art projects, expanding the role of public art in urban dialogue and social engagement.

Her international profile surged with her role as curator for the Italian Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale and as artistic director for the first Art Basel Cities: Buenos Aires in 2018. Her most acclaimed work was directing the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022. Titled "The Milk of Dreams," her exhibition drew inspiration from a 1950s children's book by surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. It featured 213 artists from 58 countries, exploring themes of bodily transformation, human-technology relations, and the connection between humanity and the planet. The exhibition was widely praised by critics, attracting over 800,000 visitors and solidifying its status as a landmark Venice Biennale.

"I am deeply honored to be entrusted with curating the next Taipei Biennial," Alemani stated. "The Taipei Biennial has an extraordinary history of shaping contemporary art discourse. In the current global climate, platforms like the Taipei Biennial are more crucial than ever, serving as vital spaces for creative thinking and cultural resilience, reminding us of art's power to foster dialogue and discussion at critical historical moments. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum has long been an important bridge between regional narratives and global perspectives, and I look forward to collaborating with the local art community to create an exhibition that transcends borders and resonates deeply."

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I am deeply honored to be entrusted with curating the next Taipei Biennial. The Taipei Biennial has an extraordinary history of shaping contemporary art discourse. In the current global climate, platforms like the Taipei Biennial are more crucial than ever, serving as vital spaces for creative thinking and cultural resilience, reminding us of art's power to foster dialogue and discussion at critical historical moments. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum has long been an important bridge between regional narratives and global perspectives, and I look forward to collaborating with the local art community to create an exhibition that transcends borders and resonates deeply.