The Tamesis
Philip Tinari is leaving his long-time Beijing institution to open a new institution in Hong Kong as deputy director and artistic director of the Tai Kwun Culture and Arts Centre. He takes up his new role on February 23 and will work across all artistic disciplines, including heritage, contemporary and performing arts. He takes over as artistic director from curator Pi Li, who took up the post in February 2023 and left when his contract expired in February. art criticism the report said.
“I have followed the development of Tai Kwun over the years and am delighted to be part of Tai Kwun’s next chapter,” Philip Tinari said in a statement. “I look forward to guiding the Tai Kwun Contemporary Art Center’s programming, driving greater engagement with existing and new audiences, deepening and broadening its impact on diverse communities and stakeholders, and raising its profile in the international arts community.”
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Philip Tinari has spent the past 14 years as director and CEO of UCCA, which was founded in Beijing in 2007 by Guy and Miriam Ullens as the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. In 2018, Philip Tinari led its transformation into a certified non-profit museum. That same year, Philip Tinari also launched expansions with UCCA Dune, a museum buried under the sand dunes of Beidaihe, about 200 miles east of Beijing; with UCCA Edge in a high-rise building in Shanghai in 2021; and with UCCA Clay in Yixing in 2024. He has overseen major exhibitions of Western historical giants such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol, as well as Western and Asian contemporary stars such as Cao Fei, Maurizio Cattelan, William Kentridge, Xu Bing, Yang Fudong, and Anika Yi.
“We are delighted to welcome Philip to Tai Kwun,” said Timothy Calnin, artistic director of Tai Kwun. “Philip has built a vibrant and relevant contemporary art institution in Beijing, respected in China and around the world, with an impressive track record that will be a huge asset to Tai Kwun in securing a brilliant future beyond its upcoming tenth anniversary in 2028.”
In 2018, Philip Tinari co-curated the first season of Cao Fei’s solo exhibition “The Hollow in a World Too Full” with in-house curator Tan Xue.
Tai Kwun is located in Central, Hong Kong, and is located at historical sites such as the former Central Police Station, Central Magistrates’ Office and Victoria Prison. It is backed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, a sports and entertainment venue founded in 1884, and the Hong Kong government. Won the Excellence Award at the 2019 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Conservation Awards.
art news Named its exhibition “Myth Makers – Spectral Synthesis III” one of the “defining exhibitions” of 2023.
Recent exhibitions include “Stay Connected: Navigating the Cloud,” featuring artists including Cao Fei, Lawrence Lek, and Samson Young. Works currently on display include “The Book of Changes: The Art of Bao Jiulang” and “DigiRadiance | Zhang Peili: One Day.”
“Philip’s appointment is an exciting time for Tai Kwun and Hong Kong,” said Jockey Club director Cheung Chun-chen. “His global perspective and ability to build cultural connections will bring new energy to our business and support our long-term growth.”
