Canadian curator and writer, Kitty Scott, the first woman to be appointed to the role of Chief Curator of the Shanghai Biennale, will visit Tāmaki Makaurau in February for a five-day research trip.
The 15th Shanghai Biennale, titled Does the flower hear the bee? (November 8, 2025 – March 31, 2026), will explore new modes of sensorial communication between artwork, audience and environment. Inspired by recent scientific discoveries regarding interactions between honeybees and the flowers that “hear” the vibration of their wings, the exhibition operates at the intersection of differing models of intelligence, both human and nonhuman. It is based on the belief that recent art provides us with a privileged space for such investigations, offering an embodied and interconnected sphere in which communities may form stronger bonds in harmony with what eco-philosopher David Abram has called “the more-than-human world.” The Shanghai Biennale does so in a moment of great uncertainty and global emergency that has given rise to a widespread sense of disorientation; our world is transforming, and it is doing so at a pace that eludes our capacity for comprehension, leaving us with an extreme sense of derangement bordering on vertigo. If a return to the past is impossible, art offers us potential pathways out of despair, helping us to find emergent forms-of-life amid this instability.
The Biennale’s hopeful vision rests on art’s ability to orient us towards the unknown, the future. Conceived in collaboration with a global array of highly-engaged artists, curators, intellectuals, musicians, poets, scientists and writers, Does the flower hear the bee? recognizes that much depends on our ability to sense the world around us and attune ourselves to its diverse variety of intelligences.
Taking place in the Power Station of Art (PSA), and inaugurated in 1996, the Shanghai Biennale is China’s longest running contemporary art biennale, and is one of the most influential art events both in Asia and globally.
About Kitty Scott
Kitty Scott is a curator and writer. She is currently Strategic Director at Shorefast and Fogo Island Arts. Former Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, she has also served as the Carol and Morton Rapp Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Director of Visual Arts at The Banff Centre, Chief Curator at Serpentine Gallery, and Curator of Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Canada. She has curated exhibitions of artists such as Francis Alÿs, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Paul Chan, Peter Doig, Geoffrey Farmer, Theaster Gates, Brian Jungen, Ken Lum, Gordon Matta-Clark, Silke Otto-Knapp, Ron Terada, and Jin-me Yoon. She co-curated Liverpool Biennial (2018), presented Geoffrey Farmer’s project at the Canada Pavilion for the 57th Venice Biennale (2017) and was an agent for dOCUMENTA (13) (2012). Scott serves on the CiMAM Board.
Partners
Kitty Scott’s visit has been organised by the Office for Contemporary Art Aotearoa in partnership with Gregory Burke and HUs Art.
Gregory Burke is a curator, writer and director. Positions he held In Aotearoa prior to 2006 include Chief Curator City Gallery, Director Govett-Brewster and inaugural curator for the NZ pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Based in North America and Europe for the last 20 years, from 2025 he returns to Aotearoa splitting his time between Tāmaki Makaurau and Berlin.
Supporters
The research trip has been made possible through the very kind support of Kent Gardner and Ngaere Duff, Jenny Gibbs, Michael Lett Gallery, and Jenny and Andrew Smith.
Kitty’s stay in Auckland is generously hosted by the Park Hyatt, Auckland’s luxury 5-star waterfront hotel. A sophisticated, waterfront residence, the Park Hyatt enriches guests with authentic and intimate experiences. An internal atrium flooded with natural light illuminates the 195-room hotel. Stylish and spacious guest rooms incorporate Maori artwork, such as custom designed tukutuku panels and rugs, made from New Zealand wool. The dynamic culinary spaces that the hotel offers are purposefully designed for guests to socialise, dine and relax alongside panoramic water front views. Discover authentic New Zealand flavours, featuring sustainable fresh local produce. After a busy day of exploring, guests can relax and unwind at the spa and 25 m infinity pool with sweeping views of Auckland Harbour.
