Philip Tinari, the longtime director and CEO of Beijing's UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, has announced he will leave to become deputy director and head of art at Hong Kong's Tai Kwun cultural complex. He will oversee programming at Tai Kwun Contemporary and shape strategy for the entire complex, which includes performing arts, galleries, and restaurants. Tinari replaces Pi Li, who previously worked at M+ and co-founded Boers-Li gallery. The appointment is backed by The Hong Kong Jockey Club, whose director Chin Chin Teoh and Tai Kwun Arts director Timothy Calnin cited a 2018 collaboration with Tinari on a Cao Fei exhibition as influential. Tinari's departure follows reports of financial difficulties at UCCA, which the institution denied. UCCA has appointed Lingyi Kong as new CEO and Xi Guo as deputy director, effective February 2026.
This move marks a significant shift in China's contemporary art landscape, as Tinari was a pivotal figure in building UCCA into a globally respected institution and a key advocate for Beijing's art scene. His transition to Tai Kwun signals Hong Kong's ambition to strengthen its cultural profile and deepen connections with mainland China's art world. The appointment also highlights the growing role of The Hong Kong Jockey Club in funding arts in the region, and raises questions about UCCA's future direction under new leadership amid financial scrutiny.