SHENZHEN — As preparation ramps up for its highly anticipated mid-2027 grand opening, the Róng Museum of Art (RMoA) in Shenzhen has officially announced the appointment of three prominent figures to its core curatorial team: Freya Chou, Li Jia, and Susanna Zhu.
The trio will work closely alongside Pi Li, the founding director of RMoA, to spearhead the institution’s institutional research initiatives, ambitious exhibition planning, and comprehensive public engagement programs. The appointments mark a major milestone for the emerging cultural hub, signaling its intent to establish itself as a vital international platform for contemporary art and cross-disciplinary dialogue in Southern China.
Building a Global Vision: Freya Chou and Li Jia to Lead Exhibitions and Research
Freya Chou, who is based in Hong Kong, brings to RMoA a reputation for dynamic curatorial projects that consistently explore complex intercultural exchanges across a diverse range of disciplines, spanning visual art, performance, and literature. Chou’s extensive institutional background includes serving as the inaugural curator of education and public programs at Hong Kong’s influential nonprofit art space Para Site from 2015 to 2019.
Beyond her foundational work at Para Site, Chou has curated and overseen high-profile international projects across the globe. Her expansive portfolio features collaborations with major institutions such as the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, and Turin’s prestigious Museum of Asian Art.
On the global stage, Chou’s leadership has been widely recognized. She headed Hong Kong’s presentation at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022 and co-curated the critically acclaimed 13th Taipei Biennial in 2023. Most recently, she curated "She Moves," a major retrospective dedicated to pioneering media artist Ellen Pau at the SculptureCenter in New York. At RMoA, Chou, alongside Li Jia, will take charge of shaping the museum’s core exhibition programming and steering its long-term research endeavors.
Li Jia joins the RMoA curatorial team with a deeply established track record of engaging with cross-generational contemporary artists hailing from mainland China and the broader Asian region. Li’s institutional experience includes serving as the deputy director of Pace Gallery’s Beijing branch from 2012 to 2015, where she helped navigate the gallery’s prominent exhibition schedule and international collector relations.
Following her tenure at Pace Gallery, Li transitioned to the Taikang Art Museum—formerly known as Taikang Space—where she worked as a senior curator from 2015 to 2020. During her time at Taikang, she organized numerous critically lauded presentations that deeply examined historical and contemporary artistic practices in China. Notable projects under her direction included artist Yang Guangnan’s multi-year "Light Pavilion Project" from 2016 to 2018, as well as the thematic group exhibition "Genders Engender" in 2018.
Li’s deep familiarity with the Chinese contemporary art ecosystem, combined with Chou’s international perspective, forms a robust foundation for RMoA’s curatorial vision as the institution prepares to introduce its inaugural exhibition lineup to the public.
Fostering Community and Public Engagement with Susanna Zhu
While Chou and Li focus on exhibitions and research, Susanna Zhu brings more than two decades of dedicated museum experience to her new role overseeing RMoA’s public engagement initiatives and learning programs. Zhu’s extensive career within the cultural sector includes a lengthy tenure as the deputy director of the Shenzhen Fine Art Institute’s exhibition department, where she worked from 2003 to 2014, gaining deep operational insight into Shenzhen’s evolving arts infrastructure.
In addition to her work at the Shenzhen Fine Art Institute, Zhu served as the secretary general of the Shenzhen Curiosity Museum Studies Centre from 2017 to 2026, contributing significantly to regional museum discourse and educational frameworks. Over the past two years, she further broadened her institutional leadership as the director of the Zishi Garden Community Museum of Sustainability. Her extensive grassroots and institutional experience in Shenzhen positions her uniquely to lead RMoA’s outreach, ensuring that the museum fosters deep, meaningful connections with local communities and international audiences alike.
Laying the Groundwork for RMoA’s 2027 Opening
The collective appointments represent a deliberate strategy by founding director Pi Li to assemble a multifaceted leadership team capable of navigating both local cultural nuances and international contemporary discourse.
In an official press release detailing the new appointments, Pi Li emphasized the unique strengths that each curator brings to the emerging institution. "Freya Chou, Li Jia, and Susanna Zhu each bring substantial expertise and distinct perspectives," Pi noted. "Their appointments further strengthen the museum’s professional team and will help us build a curatorial and research framework that is both intellectually rigorous and open in spirit, laying an important foundation for the museum’s opening."
As RMoA continues its preparations toward its scheduled mid-2027 debut in Shenzhen, the newly formed curatorial team is expected to release further details regarding its inaugural programming, research agendas, and architectural spaces in the coming months.
