YOKOHAMA.- The Organizing Committee of the Yokohama Triennale announced the appointment of curators Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero as the Artistic Directors of the 9th Yokohama Triennale, scheduled to take place from April 23 to September 12, 2027.in Yokohama, Japan.

Costinaș and Guerrero are some of the most active and globally recognized curators, based in Hong Kong. They previously co-curated the widely acclaimed 24th Biennale of Sydney in 2024, one of the most visited edition in its 50 years history. Their appointment marks a continued commitment to presenting diverse and internationally engaged artistic perspectives at the Yokohama Triennale.

Inaugurated in 2001, the Yokohama Triennale is one of Japan’s longest-running international exhibitions of contemporary art. Hosted by the City of Yokohama, which is a historic port city that has long served as a gateway for new ideas and cultural exchange, the Triennale has played a significant role in fostering global dialogue through contemporary art.

Costinaș and Guerrero are the third team of renowned international curators and artists to lead the Triennale, following Raqs Media Collective (7th edition in 2020) and Liu Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu (8th edition in 2024).

For its 9th edition, the Yokohama Triennale seeks to reimagine the role and relevance of recurring exhibitions in a changing world. Kuraya Mika, Executive Director of the Organizing Committee and Director of the Yokohama Museum of Art, reflects on this pivotal moment:

“As we reassess the relevance of the biennale/triennale model, how can we leverage these events to support those individuals and communities struggling to build better lives and contribute to the challenges of our time?”

She envisions the 9th edition as an opportunity “to remain rooted in the local context while fostering sustainable dialogue with communities and cultures around the world, which are each grounded in their own realities.” The Triennale is moving towards a sustainable scale and model that is responsive to the realities of today’s world.

Costinaș and Guerrero were selected following a rigorous selection process led by a Selection Committee chaired by Kamiya Yukie, Head, Curatorial Division / Chief Curator, National Art Center, Tokyo. Kamiya commented on their appointment as follows:

“In an age when unexpected forces are dividing what was once a connected world, we sincerely hope their vision will give rise to a practice that enables a sustainable form of interconnection.”

As they prepare for the 9th edition in 2027, Costinaș and Guerrero will collaborate closely with the Yokohama Museum of Art and nonprofit art spaces in Yokohama, among others, throughout their curatorial journey.

Cosmin Costinaș (b.1982 in Satu Mare, Romania) is a curator and writer and until the end of this year the Senior Curator of Exhibition Practices at HKW, Berlin, a position he assumed in July 2022. Costinaș will continue his engagement with HKW in the role of curatorial advisor. He was the Director of Para Site in Hong Kong (2011–2022), Artistic Director of Kathmandu Triennale (2022), co-curator of the Romanian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale (2022), Curator at the Dhaka Art Summit (2018), Co-curator of the 10th Shanghai Biennale (2014), and Editor of documenta 12 magazines, Vienna/Kassel (2005–2007), a.o.

Inti Guerrero (b.1983 in Bogotá, Colombia) is a curator and educator and Adjunct Professor in the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong. He was the Artistic Director of Bellas Artes Projects in Manila/Bataan (2018-2021), the Estrellita B. Brodsky Adjunct Curator, Latin American Art at Tate, London (2016-2021), Curator of the 38th EVA International – Ireland's Biennial (2018), and co-curator of the 44th Salón Nacional de Artistas, Colombia (2017), a.o.

While they each have extensive experience in curatorial projects across multiple continents, they have co-curated many exhibitions and projects together in the last decade. As Artistic Directors of the 24th Biennale of Sydney (2024), they received wide acclaim for a curatorial approach that celebrated joyful acts of collective resistance. They also served as guest curators for the Dakar Biennale 2018, and have co-curated exhibitions in Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, San Francisco, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok, a.o.