Mikala Tai Appointed Curator of 2027 TarraWarra Biennial
2April 21, 2026
The TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville, Australia, hastappedSydney-based writer, researcher, and curatorMikala Taito curate the TenthTarraWarra Biennial, to take place July 31–November 4, 2027. Launched in 2006, theTarraWarra Biennialis just one of a few surveys of contemporary Australian art.
Tai is an expert in in contemporary Australian and Asian art. She played a crucial role in bringingKhaled Sabsabi’stwo projectstothis year’s Venice Biennaleafter the Lebanese-born conceptual artist wasunexpectedly droppedas Australia’s representing artist. Tai was most recently head of visual arts at Creative Australia, where she served as project director forArchie Moore’s Golden Lion-winning exhibition in the Australian Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. She was previously Director of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney. Earlier roles include those at the National Gallery of Victoria and at contemporary art space Para Site in Hong Kong.
“I spent my early childhood in the hills encircling TarraWarra, where the voices of birds and the silhouettes of trees formed the backdrop to my first memories,” said Tai in a statement. “To return in 2027 is deeply meaningful. I feel a responsibility to this place, where my imagination awakened and my first friendships were formed, and I hope to anchor the TarraWarra Biennial with this sense of origin, connection, and return. Though life has carried me elsewhere, and my family stretches across many histories and geographies, this place remains something I carry with me.”
TarraWarra Museum director Victoria Lynn in a statement praised Tai for a “thoughtful and open curatorial approach,” noting, “With strong roots in the local area, [she] is well positioned to deliver an exhibition that resonates with a broad, diverse audience.”