Philip Tinari has been with the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art since 2011, leading its transformation into China’s leading independent contemporary art institution.
During his tenure at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, Tenari’s efforts have moved it from a founder-driven private museum into a top art museum that offers a wide range of exhibitions and programmes. It is now visited by over one million guests each year.
Previous to his role at UCCA, Tinari was the founding editor of LEAP, an international art magazine published in both Chinese and English. He is also a contributing editor of Artforum, a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum and a fellow of the Public Intellectuals Program of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
In 2021, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art opened its new branch in Shanghai, called UCCA Edge. Designed by SO – IL, this is UCCA Group’s third museum, following the flagship UCCA Beijing and UCCA Dune, which opened in 2018. It features nearly 60,000 square feet of gallery space and is located in Shanghai’s Jing’an district.
“We are extremely excited to put down roots in a city that is synonymous with the vibrancy and dynamism of contemporary China,” said Tinari, speaking about the opening. “With the opening of UCCA Edge, we will be able to deliver top-quality programming to audiences in China’s two largest metropolitan areas, moving us one significant step closer to becoming a truly national institution…We look forward to deepening our relationships with artists and publics in this great city.”
UCCA Edge features exhibitions developed exclusively for a Shanghai audience, as well as touring exhibitions from other UCCA locations.
Tinari holds a BA in Literature from Duke University and an MA in East Asian Studies from Harvard University. He also studied Chinese Language and Literature at Tsinghua University.