Sharjah Art Foundation has released an initial artist list for the 16th edition of the Sharjah Biennial, set to take place in 2025. The curators also revealed their respective curatorial frameworks for the exhibition.
From the Middle East and Arab world, the roster includes Alia Farid, Joe Namy and Mahmoud Khaled. See the list below:
Adelita Husni-Bey
Akinbode Akinbiyi
Akira Ikezoe
Alia Farid
Cécile B. Evans
Dian Suci Rahmawati
Ipeh Nur and Restu Ratnaningtyas
Fatma Belkıs
Hellen Ascoli
Heman Chong
Joe Namy
Jorge González
Kaloki Nyamai
Kapulani Landgraf
Kate Newby
Mahmoud Khaled
Michael Parekōwhai
Mila Turajlić
Mónica de Miranda
Pallavi Paul
Pratchaya Phinthong
Rajni Perera
Rossella Biscotti
Saffronn Te Ratana
Serapis Maritime
Shivanjani Lal
Stephanie Comilang
Steven Yazzie
Womanifesto
Ximena Garrido-Lecca
Yhonnie Scarce
The complete lineup will be announced in the coming months.
Curated by Alia Swastika, Amal Khalaf, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Natasha Ginwala and Zeynep Öz, the biennial weaves together their distinct approaches. Swastika variously explores collectivity, power and marginalised knowledge systems, while Khalaf focuses on the role of communal rituals in countering the climate crisis. Tamati-Quennell’s practice stems from her First Nations positionality, Ginwala investigates the relationships between sound, place and memory, and Öz looks at societal and economic shifts in response to advances in technology and science.
Sharjah Biennial 16 runs from 6 February to 15 June 2025 across venues in Sharjah City, Al Hamriyah, Al Dhaid, Kalba and elsewhere in the Emirate of Sharjah.
