The Sharjah Biennial 16: Hoor Al Qasimi in conversation with Folasade Ologundudu

On this episode I’m joined by Hoor Al Qasimi during the opening week of the Sharjah Biennial 16.

Al Qasimi is the President and Director Sharjah Art Foundation, an organization she founded in 2009 as a catalyst and advocate for the arts around the world. She has been the Director of Sharjah Biennial since 2002, an internationally recognized platform for contemporary artists, curators and cultural producers, and curated Thinking Historically in the Present, the Sharjah Biennial 15 in 2023, originally conceived by the late Nigerian curator, Okwui Enwezor. 

After establishing the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) in 2009, she developed programming that included exhibitions, artist residencies, and educational initiatives, aimed at fostering a cross-cultural dialogue and exchange within the UAE and globally. Recently, Al Qasimi was named the artistic director for both the 2026 Biennale of Sydney and the 2025 Aichi Triennale in Japan—the latter appointment marking her as the first non-Japanese curator to hold the position.

In this episode, the director reflects on the meaningful aspects of this year's edition of the Sharjah Biennial, the collaboration among the five curators, and the importance of showcasing art in small local communities. 

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