Cover Philip Tinari, who will be the new head of art at Tai Kwun in February 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Philip Tinari, who will be the new head of art at Tai Kwun in February 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Philip Tinari replaces Pi Li as Tai Kwun’s new head of art, effective next month
Tai Kwun has announced the appointment of Philip Tinari as deputy director and head of art, effective February 23, 2026. The internationally acclaimed American curator and museum director, recognised for transforming Beijing’s UCCA Center for Contemporary Art into China’s leading contemporary art institution, will succeed Pi Li in shaping a new phase of Tai Kwun’s artistic development and global standing.
Li’s contract will end next month, and will move on to launch a new art museum in Shenzhen.
In his new role, Tinari will oversee programming for Tai Kwun Contemporary and contribute to the organisation’s broader creative direction. Working alongside Timothy Calnin, director of Tai Kwun Arts, Tinari will guide artistic integration across Tai Kwun’s diverse offerings in heritage, visual art, and performing arts. His mandate includes strengthening Tai Kwun’s profile as a key hub for cultural exchange, contemporary discourse, and artistic experimentation at the heart of Hong Kong’s historic Central Police Station compound.
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Above Philip Tinari, who will be the new head of art at Tai Kwun in February 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
Philip Tinari, who will be the new head of art at Tai Kwun in February 2026 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Reflecting on the appointment, Tinari says in a press statement, “I have been following Tai Kwun’s growth over these years and am truly excited to be part of its next chapter. I look forward to steering Tai Kwun Contemporary’s programming, to driving greater engagement with existing and new audiences, to deepening and expanding its impact with diverse communities and stakeholders, and to raising its profile to the international art community.”
Tai Kwun director Timothy Calnin hails the appointment as a strategic milestone for the organisation, noting Tinari’s proven record of institution building and curatorial innovation. “Philip’s impressive record in establishing a dynamic and relevant contemporary art institution in Beijing which is revered both in China and around the world, will be a tremendous asset as Tai Kwun looks beyond the approaching 10th anniversary in 2028 to ensure a brilliant future,” he says.
Tinari’s relationship with Tai Kwun predates this appointment: he co-curated a major exhibition for Tai Kwun’s debut season in 2018, laying early groundwork for what would later become one of Hong Kong’s most respected contemporary art platforms. Praising his “curatorial experience, entrepreneurial flair and demonstrated industry leadership,” Calnin expresses enthusiasm about collaborating with Tinari to “amplify Tai Kwun’s distinctive role as a cultural anchor of the region.”
Above From left: art historian Noah Horowitz, Vanity Fair culture correspondent Nate Freeman and Philip Tinari, who will be the new head of art at Tai Kwun in February 2026, attending the opening night of Art Basel Paris in 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)
From left: art historian Noah Horowitz, Vanity Fair culture correspondent Nate Freeman and Philip Tinari, who will be the new head of art at Tai Kwun in February 2026, attending the opening night of Art Basel Paris in 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Before joining Tai Kwun, Tinari served for 14 years as director and chief executive officer of the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing. Taking the helm in 2011, he led UCCA’s evolution from a founder-owned space into a multi-location institution recognised internationally for its intellectual ambition and curatorial excellence. Under his leadership, UCCA expanded to include UCCA Dune on the coast of Qinhuangdao, UCCA Edge in Shanghai, and UCCA Clay, dedicated to ceramic art.
Tinari’s influence at UCCA was marked by bold programming that connected Chinese audiences with major Western art histories while simultaneously championing China’s own creative vanguard. He introduced landmark exhibitions of Picasso, Matisse and Warhol alongside solo presentations by Cao Fei, Xu Bing, Yang Fudong, Maurizio Cattelan and other leading figures. His approach positioned UCCA as a vital conduit between Chinese contemporary art and the global stage.
Beyond his leadership in China, Tinari has maintained an active international curatorial practice. He co-curated Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World at the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum in New York, a groundbreaking survey of Chinese experimental art, and organised the inaugural Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale in Riyadh.
As Tai Kwun approaches its tenth anniversary in 2028, Tinari’s appointment signals an ambitious vision for the institution’s next decade—one that promises to deepen its engagement with global dialogues while celebrating Hong Kong’s distinctive cultural identity.
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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.
