Sheikha Hoor to curate Lahore Biennale
Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi. Photo by Nato Welton
Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Founding Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, has been appointed curator of the second Lahore Biennale (LB02), opening in early 2020 and on view across the city of Lahore, Pakistan. Director of the internationally-respected Sharjah Biennial since 2002 and President of the International Biennial Association, Al Qasimi will bring her extensive expertise to LB02, which will feature new commissions, large-scale installations, and discursive programming.
The inaugural Lahore Biennale (LB01), held in March 2018, showcased over 100 artworks in some of Lahore’s major venues and saw the participation of various artists and scholars from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. For LB02, the Biennial will extend its regional scope to West Asia and the Middle East.
Chairman of the Board of the Lahore Biennale Foundation, Osman Khalid Waheed said: “The Lahore Biennale Foundation is delighted to have Hoor Al Qasimi as its curator for the second edition of the Lahore Biennale. In addition to her deep knowledge and extensive curatorial experience, Al Qasimi brings a very special energy to her projects.”
Al Qasmi said that she was honoured to have the opportunity to work with the Lahore Biennale Foundation. “The first edition proved how even a new biennial can be both a means to engage the local and regional community while offering an internationally visible platform for artists and the cultural life of a city,” she said. “I look forward to working closely with the Foundation to curate a programme that celebrates the richness of artistic practice in South Asia and the importance of strengthening cultural ties between this region, the Middle East and the broader international arts landscape.”
Honestly, I took the text above from the press release, so I wanted to add a final note from me to my readers to say that I am personally excited and interested to see the curation of this biennial. Hoor Al Qasimi is an inspiration to all who work around her and her commitment to the region and the artistic conversations emerging from the Middle East are in no small part down to her and the work the Sharjah Art Foundation does.
For more info visit sharjahart.org or lahorebiennale.org.
At the Shahi Hammam, Walled City, Lahore. Left to Right: Iftikhar Dadi (Advisor, LB02), Hoor Al Qasimi (Curator, LB02), Qudsia Rahim (Executive Director, LBF and Director, LB02) and Ayesha Jatoi (Advisor, LB02). Image courtesy of Lahore Biennale Foundation