The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (ISKV) has announced that Liu Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu will curate the 2027 Istanbul Biennial. Liu Ding is a Beijing-based artist and curator who has participated in numerous international biennials and taught at NABA Milan, while Carol Yinghua Lu is an art historian and director of the Inside-Out Art Museum in Beijing, with a background at OCAT Shenzhen, Museion Bolzano, and Asia Art Archive. The pair, who have collaborated since 2007, most recently served as artistic directors of the 2024 Yokohama Triennale. The 19th edition of the Istanbul Biennial is scheduled for 18 September to 14 November 2027.
The appointment matters because it brings together two prominent Chinese art-world figures at a time of geopolitical tension and technological disruption. Their curatorial statement calls for moving beyond reactive commentary and technological escapism to restore critical rigor and artistic agency, signaling a potentially provocative and introspective direction for one of the world's most established biennials. The choice also reflects the growing international influence of Chinese curators and the biennial's continued role as a platform for addressing urgent global issues through contemporary art.