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Honolulu Biennial to become a Triennial

Honolulu Biennial Foundation

Honolulu Biennial Foundation (HBF) announces the move towards a triennial format, now opening in February 2022. As previously announced, Melissa Chiu, Director of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, will serve as Curatorial Director of the third edition of the festival.

“After two successful editions of Honolulu Biennial, we have been reflecting on the most dynamic and optimal model to best serve the needs of our community and be of relevance within the global contemporary art ecosystem. We have determined that evolving into a triennial format is the best step forward as we move into this new decade,” shares the HBF Board of Directors in a joint statement.

The move to a triennial model enables HBF to deepen its collaborative programming partnerships and explore synergy among all the Hawaiian Islands. Ahead of the triennial, HBF will be presenting a preview symposia in February 2021 with more details released later this year.

Honolulu Biennial debuted in 2017, welcoming nearly 100,000 visitors and having an economic impact of $35.5 million on the local economy. The 2019 edition welcomed 114,000 visitors and had an economic impact of $81.9 million on the local economy. Previous curatorial teams include Fumio Nanjo, Senior Advisor and former Director of the Mori Art Museum, and Ngahiraka Mason, an independent curator and former Curator of Māori Art at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki (2017 team); and Nina Tonga, Curator Contemporary Art at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, and Josh Tengan, an independent curator and project manager of Puʻuhonua Society (2019 team).

About Honolulu Biennial Foundation
Inspired by the histories of Hawai’i, a gathering place for diverse peoples and ideas, Honolulu Biennial Foundation presents Honolulu Triennial, an international, multi-site contemporary art exhibition connecting artists from across our islands and waterways with the nations and territories united by the blue continent, the Pacific Ocean. Year-round educational and community engagement programs, capsule exhibitions, and artist development initiatives affirm our commitment to creating a global, sustainable, and accessible hub for contemporary art in Hawai’i nei.

Read more about Hawai‘i Triennial