Hawai‘i Triennial 2025: ALOHA NŌ Opens in February

Lē’ahi, one of more than a dozen sites of exhibition for Hawai’i Triennial 2025. Courtesy Hawai’i Triennial

February 15 – May 4, 2025
Honolulu, Hawai‘i (with additional sites on Hawai‘i Island and Maui)

The highly anticipated Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 (HT25), the largest thematic exhibition of contemporary art in Hawaii, is set to open next month. From February 15 to May 4, 2025, HT25 will activate more than a dozen venues, including art spaces and public places across O‘ahu, while also expanding to Hawai‘i Island and Maui for the first time in its history.

Curated by Wassan Al-Khudhairi, Binna Choi, and Noelle M.K.Y. Kahanu, HT25 is titled ALOHA NŌ and challenges traditional notions of aloha. By reframing aloha as an active cultural practice, the exhibition situates it as a transformative force enacted collectively through contemporary art. The event brings together 49 artists and collectives from Hawai‘i, the Pacific, and beyond, creating a platform for dialogues rooted in Hawai‘i’s unique cultural and ecological context.

Audiences can get a first glimpse of HT25 on February 14, 2025, at Bishop Museum’s After Hours event. This lively evening will feature workshops, children’s activities, food vendors, and more. The Triennial officially launches on February 15, 2025, with a daytime event at Capitol Modern and an evening celebration at the HT25 HUB in Davies Pacific Center, both located in downtown Honolulu.

“We’re excited to kick off Hawai‘i Triennial 2025 at Capitol Modern,” said Karen Ewald, executive director of Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. “The Triennial is an integral part of our visual arts community. The exhibition brings together local and global artists and welcomes audiences from across our Islands and around the world for meaningful exchanges and impactful experiences around contemporary art.”

HT25 will offer dozens of free, public programs designed to engage audiences of all ages. These include curator- and docent-led gallery tours, artist conversations, film screenings, hands-on workshops, poetry and arts writing workshops, performances, and more. Programs have been developed in collaboration with artists, scholars, and Hawai‘i-based communities to foster deep engagement. Key contributors to these programs include: HT25 artists J. D. Nālamakūikapō Ahsing, Nanci Amaka, Melissa Chimera, Hayv Kahraman, Kapwani Kiwanga, Brandy Nālani McDougall, Me‘leanna Aluli Meyer, Stephanie Syjuco, and many others. Collaborators and guest speakers include Afterall Journal, Dr. Bayo Akomolafe, Ikaika Bishop, The Pōpolo Project, and Wahi Pana: Storied Places, among others.

The undercurrent of HT25’s programming is rooted in the idea of healing through community engagement. These programs aim to bring people together to create, learn, and converse, fostering mutual understanding in a world increasingly strained by conflict and environmental challenges.

“Since its inception, Hawai‘i Contemporary has been envisioned as a platform of discourse, sharing of ideas, and learning,” said Rosina Potter, executive director of Hawai‘i Contemporary. “We’re thrilled that, on the occasion of Hawai‘i Triennial 2025, we are able to offer a rich and diverse complement of public programs that invite us to be present and share our aloha through conversation, listening, and doing. Through this exchange, we hope to cultivate deeper care for each other and, in turn, for our shared home.”

To explore the full list of participating artists and program details, visit hawaiicontemporary.org.