Curator of Hawai’i Triennial 2025, Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu. Courtesy Hawai’i Contemporary. Photo Brandyn Liu
IBA Stage: Hawai’i Triennial 2025
March 27, 2025 (Thursday)
7:00 pm (Hawai’i/GMT-10)
We are pleased to introduce Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu as the final guest for our IBA Stage series presenting the Hawai‘i Triennial 2025.
Kahanu is a curator, writer, filmmaker, and Assistant Specialist at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s American Studies Department. A Kanaka ʻŌiwi, she has worked extensively at the intersection of culture, history, and contemporary art, focusing on advocating and giving space to indigenous voices and narratives from Hawai‘i and the Pacific region.
Kahanu’s work spans curatorial projects, poetry, documentary filmmaking, and community-based cultural initiatives. Her approach is deeply rooted in Hawaiian knowledge systems, and she has contributed to several seminal exhibitions and public programs.
In addition to her academic role, Kahanu previously served as Director of Community Affairs at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu and as a project manager for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Her projects often bridge institutional and community contexts, bringing together scholarship, activism and creative expression.
As one of the curators for the Hawai‘i Triennial 2025, Kahanu brings a nuanced understanding of place-based histories, indigenous storytelling, and the broader geopolitical dynamics shaping Hawai‘i and the Pacific.
We look forward to welcoming Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu to the conversation and to learning more about her role in shaping Hawai‘i Contemporary’s curatorial framework.
To have the possibility to hear and discuss with the individuals behind biennials has been a key component of what we believe IBA can offer to our members and the wider public and we value your participation through our live streams. As always IBA Stage events are meant as a moment to hear about a project through its makers and have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session at the end of the presentation.
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