Join us for an evening with Artistic Director of the 25th Biennale of Sydney, Hoor Al Qasimi. Accompanied by artist Richard Bell and GUAM Director Angela Goddard, Al Qasimi will introduce her curatorial practice and discuss the themes and frameworks for the 25th Biennale of Sydney, scheduled to open in 2026.

About:

Hoor Al Qasimi is President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, the independent public arts organisation she established in 2009 as a catalyst and advocate for the arts in the UAE and beyond. She has expanded the Foundation’s scope to include major international exhibitions; residencies; commissions; publications; grants; performance and film festivals; architectural research and restoration; and educational programming.

In 2003, she co-curated Sharjah Biennial 6 and has remained Biennial Director ever since. She was elected President of the International Biennial Association (IBA) in 2017. Al Qasimi was also curator of Sharjah Biennial 15: Thinking Historically in the Present (2023).

Al Qasimi has curated major solo exhibitions at Sharjah Art Foundation, presenting works by CAMP (2022), Khalil Rabah (2022), Tarek Atoui (2020–2021), Zarina Bhimji (2020–2021), Amal Kenawy (2018–2019) and Yayoi Kusama (2016–2017) as well as a major touring retrospective of work by Hassan Sharif (2017 – 2021). She co-curated Kamala Ibrahim Ishag: States of Oneness, Serpentine Gallery, London (2022–2023), Bani Abidi’s survey at MCA Chicago (2021–2022); and a major touring exhibition of work by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige (2016 – 2017).

Al Qasimi curated the UAE Pavilion, 56th Venice Biennale (2015), the second Lahore Biennale (2020) and Dream Projects, Dream City Festival, Tunis (2023).

President and Director of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, Al Qasimi also serves as President of the Global Studies University, Sharjah, which includes The Africa Institute and The Asia Institute. In 2025, she will serve as Artistic Director of the sixth Aichi Triennale. In 2026, she will serve as Artistic Director of the 25th edition of the Biennale of Sydney.