Helsinki Biennial 2027: Head Curators Announced

Photos: Ito Akinori (Mami Kataoka) and Joni Luomanen (Arja Miller). Courtesy Helsinki Biennial

Helsinki Biennial 2027: Head Curators Announced
Mami Kataoka & Arja Miller

Helsinki, Finland
Summer 2027
helsinkibiennial.fi
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The Head Curators of the 2027 Helsinki Biennial have been announced as internationally acclaimed curator Mami Kataoka and Finnish museum professional and contemporary art expert Arja Miller. The major international visual arts event will take place for the fourth time in summer 2027, continuing to build on Helsinki Biennial’s unique connection between art, nature, and the maritime city.

Mami Kataoka, Director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, brings a curatorial vision shaped by social inquiry, intercultural dialogue, and reflections on global and cosmic balance. With extensive experience across leading international institutions, she offers a distinct perspective from Asia and beyond, opening new opportunities for exchange with Finnish and Nordic art.

Her curatorial background includes roles as Chief Curator at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (1997–2002), International Curator at London’s Hayward Gallery (2007–2009), Co-Artistic Director of the 9th Gwangju Biennale (2012), Artistic Director of the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018), and Artistic Director of the Aichi Triennale (2022). She has served on the board of CIMAM (2014–2022), chairing the organisation between 2020 and 2022, and in 2024 was part of the Finding Committee for Documenta 16.

Arja Miller, Director of HAM Helsinki Art Museum and Helsinki Biennial, integrates artistic vision with urban and civic engagement. Her curatorial approach focuses on site-specific, sensory, and transformative experiences, exploring the capacity of art to speculate on the unknown and generate collective meaning. Through her leadership, Helsinki Biennial continues to strengthen the city’s presence as an internationally recognised art destination.

Previously, Miller served as Chief Curator and Exhibition Manager at EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art (2017–2023), Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma (2008–2017), and Head of Audience Engagement at the Helsinki City Art Museum (2002–2008). Her curatorial work includes the In Search of the Present exhibition at EMMA and contributions to two ARS exhibitions at Kiasma, as well as collaborations with numerous international artists.

“Our joint curatorial approach will be based on the idea of art that connects and inspires broad audiences, encourages transcultural dialogue and fresh perspectives, and shares universal views on the environment and cosmology. Our goal is to create a polyphonic and thought-provoking biennial that will resonate both locally and internationally.” Mami Kataoka & Arja Miller

The most recent edition, Helsinki Biennial 2025, curated by Kati Kivinen and Blanca de la Torre, brought together 37 artists and collectives under the theme Shelter. The edition drew more than 568,000 visitors, reinforcing the biennial’s growing impact as a global platform for artistic and ecological discourse.

Make sure to follow Helsinki Biennial through their website and social media for future updates on the theme, artists and more!