Takahashi Mizuki Appointed Executive Director and Chief Curator of CHAT

On February 19, Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile (CHAT) of The Mills in Hong Kong announced the promotion of co-director Takahashi Mizuki to the post of executive director and chief curator, and the resignation of co-director Teoh Chin Chin. 

Takahashi Mizuki joined CHAT in 2016, and has curated exhibitions and programs for the organization, including “Unfolding: Fabric of Our Life” installed during the center’s official opening in March 2019. The inaugural exhibition showcased 17 artists and collectives from the Asia-Pacific region who presented works uncovering forgotten histories of textile production. Prior to this, Takahashi was a senior curator at Contemporary Art Center, Art Tower Mito, from 2003 to 2016, where she curated exhibitions that incorporated different disciplines, combining performance and contemporary art with elements of manga, film, fashion, science, and architecture, including “Darren Almond: Second Thoughts” (2013), “Tadasu Takamine’s Cool Japan” (2012), and “8 Days: Beuys in Japan” (2009). From 1999 to 2003, she was a founding curatorial member at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum.

Speaking of her new role, Takahashi said, “We strongly believe that there are many things we can learn from the legacy of the textile industry in the city, and that CHAT can offer fresh perspectives to connect the past and present, bridging heritage with contemporary art and design, and empowering the people to build a better future.”

On the occasion of the appointment, The Mills founder Vanessa Cheung commented, “Both Mizuki and Chin Chin have led CHAT into a successful first year. . . In this next phase, Mizuki, supported by new and existing members of CHAT team, will continue to lead the organization to deliver high-quality exhibitions and co-learning programmes for visitors, further expanding the spirit of innovation associated with Hong Kong’s textile industry.”

Teoh Chin Chin joined CHAT in 2016, after a career in private equity for 15 years. Her resignation will be effective from the end of March, 2020.

Pamela Wong is ArtAsiaPacific’s assistant editor. 

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