Philippe Parreno to Direct Okayama Art Summit 2025 with Shimabuku as Artistic Translator

The fourth edition of the Okayama Art Summit will take place from September 26 to November 24, 2025, in Okayama, Japan, at venues including the city's castle and the 18th-century Korakuen Garden. French-Algerian artist Philippe Parreno has been appointed artistic director, continuing the tradition of internationally renowned artists leading the triennial. Parreno, known for cross-media works exploring time and duration, previously had a 2023 exhibition at Espace Vuitton in Munich and a 2022 show at the Pinault Collection in Paris. The 2025 summit introduces a new role: the 'artistic translator,' filled by Japanese artist Shimabuku. Shimabuku, born in Kobe in 1969, gained recognition in the 1990s for installations and performances that foster communication and empathy through unexpected situations and irony. He will collaborate with Parreno on curatorial tasks, facilitating exchange between artists and audiences. The theme and participating artists will be announced in the coming months. Previous artistic directors were Liam Gillick (2016), Pierre Huyghe (2019), and Rirkrit Tiravanija (2022).