Cover Takahashi Mizuki has been appointed as co-curator of the Japan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026 (Photo: Instagram/@mizuki0730)
Takahashi Mizuki has been appointed as co-curator of the Japan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2026 (Photo: Instagram/@mizuki0730)
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Takahashi Mizuki, executive director and chief curator of the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (Chat) in Hong Kong, has been appointed co-curator of the Japan Pavilion at the International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in May 2026
Takahashi Mizuki, executive director and chief curator of the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (Chat) in Hong Kong, has been appointed co-curator of the Japan Pavilion at the International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in May 2026.
Takahashi will co-curate the pavilion alongside Horikawa Lisa, senior curator and director (curatorial and collections) at the National Gallery Singapore. Together, they will showcase new work by queer Japanese American performance artist Ei Arakawa-Nash.
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Above The Japan Pavilion (Photo: courtesy of the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile, Hong Kong)
The Japan Pavilion (Photo: courtesy of the Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile, Hong Kong)
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Known for her commitment to redefining the narrative of textile and industrial heritage in Asia, Takahashi has brought a transdisciplinary vision and rigour to the region’s curatorial scene. Her recent programming at Chat includes a large-scale knitting performance by Hong Kong and Lisbon-based artist Movana Chen in 2024, and Unfolding: Fabric of Our Life, a 2019 exhibition spotlighting 17 artists and collectives exploring forgotten histories of textile production in the Asia-Pacific.
Before joining Chat in 2016, Takahashi was a founding curatorial member of Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum (1999-2003), and later served as senior curator at Art Tower Mito’s Contemporary Art Gallery in Ibaraki. There, her exhibitions cut across manga, film, fashion, architecture, performance and contemporary art, reflecting her boundary-crossing approach to curation.
With her experience bridging diverse media and geographies, Takahashi’s leadership at the 2026 Japan Pavilion is set to bring a layered and compelling narrative to the Venice Biennale.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
