Mariam Elnozahy has been appointed chief curator of the second Ulaanbaatar Biennale, set to take place from 4 until 30 June 2027 across Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Elnozahy, who currently serves as Artistic Director of Konsthall C in Stockholm and has previously worked with Townhouse Gallery in Cairo and Ma3azef Magazine, was selected for the role by a selection committee composed of art world professionals, which included Gantuya B, Jantsankhorol Erdenebayar, Odgerel Odonchimed, Tian Zhang and Dr Saara Hacklin. As well as curating exhibitions across the globe over the past few years, in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Jeddah, London, Oslo and Uppsala, among others locations, Elnozahy has also run workshops in Tunis and Tangiers, with programmes touching upon issues of development, the exploitation of natural resources and the historical process of globalisation.
Elnozahy commented: “I’m honoured and excited to be appointed curator for the next Ulaanbaatar Biennale. I’m inspired by the contemporary artists working in Ulaanbaatar across mediums – painting, sound, installation, and more – and look forward to learning from them and others working in this context. I’m eager to bring these practices into dialogue with artists from different regions as well.”
The upcoming edition of the biennale, which is organised by the Arts Council of Mongolia, will unfold under the theme of Love Songs for Mountains. The title of the event is derived from the work Noorani Metal Sound (2026) by multidisciplinary artist and researcher Zahra Malkani, one of the artists set to showcase their work in Ulaanbaatar next year, as the event brings the practices of Mongolian artists into conversation with those of international artists.
