Mami Kataoka and Arja Miller Announced as Head Curators of Helsinki Biennial 2027
The Head Curators of the 2027 Helsinki Biennial are 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. Built with a big heart for a broad audience, the biennial is founded on the unique connection between art, nature, and the maritime city.
Mami Kataoka is the Director of the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. Her curatorial work emphasises social themes, intercultural dialogue, and the role of art in exploring global structures and the equilibrium of fundamental cosmic elements. Kataoka brings diverse perspectives and an extensive network from Asia and beyond to the Helsinki Biennial, opening new opportunities for Finnish art.
Kataoka’s previous roles include Chief Curator at the Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery (1997–2002), International Curator at the Hayward Gallery in London (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 (2022). She served on the board of CIMAM from 2014 to 2022, chairing the organisation from 2020 to 2022. In 2024, she served on the Finding Committee for Documenta 16 and will select the recipient of the 2025 Ars Fennica Art Prize.
Arja Miller is the Director of HAM Helsinki Art Museum and Helsinki Biennial. Her work combines artistic ambition with strategic urban development. She is interested in curating site-specific and multisensory works that explore universal themes and speculate unknown territories. Miller seeks new ways for contemporary art to exist in a state of flux – breathing, transforming, yet leaving lasting impressions. Her goal is to strengthen Helsinki’s position as an internationally recognised art city.
Miller’s previous positions include exhibition manager and Chief Curator at the 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). She has curated numerous international exhibitions, including the technology and AI-focused In Search of the Present exhibition at EMMA, participated in curating two ARS exhibitions at Kiasma, and collaborated with established 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
Photos: Ito Akinori (Mami Kataoka) and Joni Luomanen (Arja Miller)