Sharjah Biennial 15 (SB15), titled Thinking Historically in the Present, will feature works by more than 150 artists, including never-before-seen works and commissions presented at 16 venues across the emirate. Conceived by the late Okwui Enwezor and curated by the Foundation’s Director Hoor Al Qasimi, SB15 reflects on Enwezor’s visionary work, which transformed contemporary art and has influenced the evolution of institutions and biennials around the world, including the Sharjah Biennial.
To mark Sharjah Biennial’s 30-year anniversary, Enwezor proposed commissioning 30 works as a way to meaningfully activate this critical platform through the development of new work. In line with this framework, 30 artists have been invited to embark on major commissions that explore histories that continue to shape our present: John Akomfrah, Kader Attia, Sammy Baloji, María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Carolina Caycedo, Destiny Deacon, Manthia Diawara, Coco Fusco, Hassan Hajjaj, Mona Hatoum, Lubaina Himid, Isaac Julien, Amar Kanwar, Bouchra Khalili, Mohammed Ibrahim Mahama, Kerry James Marshall, Steve McQueen, Almagul Menlibayeva, Aline Motta, Wangechi Mutu, Philippe Parreno, Doris Salcedo, Berni Searle, Yinka Shonibare, Vivan Sundaram, Fatimah Tuggar, Hajra Waheed, Barbara Walker, Nari Ward and Carrie Mae Weems.
The Biennial is being realised by Al Qasimi as curator with the support of the Sharjah Biennial 15 Working Group, comprised of Tarek Abou El Fetouh (independent curator); Ute Meta Bauer (professor and Founding Director of NTU CCA Singapore); Salah M. Hassan (professor and art historian, Cornell University and Director of The Africa Institute, Sharjah); Chika Okeke-Agulu (professor and art historian, Princeton University); and Octavio Zaya (independent curator, art writer and Executive Director of the Cuban Art Foundation). Al Qasimi and the Working Group are overseeing the development and implementation of the Biennial with an Advisory Committee that includes Sir David Adjaye (architect) and Christine Tohmé (Director, Ashkal Alwan, Beirut).
Sharjah Biennial 15 will take place from 7 February to 11 June 2023, with opening week events scheduled from 7 February to 12 February. Please register here to receive updates.
Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme Maitha Abdalla Fathi Afifi Hoda Afshar John Akomfrah Jawad Al Malhi Monira Al Qadiri Farah Al Qasimi Mounira Al Solh Moza Almatrooshi Marwah AlMugait Hangama Amiri Brook Andrew Malala Andrialavidrazana Rushdi Anwar Kader Attia Au Sow Yee Dana Awartani Omar Badsha Natalie Ball Sammy Baloji Mirna Bamieh Pablo Bartholomew and Richard Bartholomew Shiraz Bayjoo Bahar Behbahani Asma Belhamar Diedrick Brackens Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons Cao Fei Carolina Caycedo Ali Cherri Wook-kyung Choi Iftikhar Dadi and Elizabeth Dadi Solmaz Daryani Annalee Davis Destiny Deacon Manthia Diawara Imane Djamil Anju Dodiya Kimathi Donkor Heri Dono Tania El Khoury Nabil El Makhloufi Rehab Eldalil Ali Eyal Marianne Fahmy Brenda Fajardo Raheleh Filsoofi Nina Fischer and Maroan el Sani Coco Fusco Flavia Gandolfo Theaster Gates Gabriela Golder Gabrielle Goliath Yulia Grigoryants Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige Hassan Hajjaj David Hammons Archana Hande Fathi Hassan Mona Hatoum Lubaina Himid Laura Huertas Millán Saodat Ismailova Isaac Julien Saddam Jumaily Patricia Kaersenhout Robyn Kahukiwa Reena Saini Kallat Hanni Kamaly Amar Kanwar Bouchra Khalili Naiza Khan Kiluanji Kia Henda Ayoung Kim Emily Kame Kngwarreye Hiroji Kubota Nusra Latif Qureshi Lee Kai Chung Ibrahim Mahama Waheeda Malullah Maharani Mancanagara mandla Lavanya Mani Kerry James Marshall Queenie McKenzie Steve McQueen Marisol Mendez Almagul Menlibayeva Helina Metaferia Kimowan Metchewais Meleanna Meyer Joiri Minaya Tahila Mintz Roméo Mivekannin Tracey Moffatt Aline Motta Wangechi Mutu Eubena Nampitjin Dala Nasser Pipo Nguyen-Duy Mame-Diarra Niang Shelley Niro Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi Elia Nurvista Okwui Okpokwasili Kambui Olujimi Zohra Opoku Erkan Özgen Pak Khawateen Painting Club Pushpakanthan Pakkiyarajah Hyesoo Park Philippe Parreno Angela Ponce Prajakta Potnis Anita Pouchard Serra Jasbir Puar and Dima Srouji Michael Rakowitz Umar Rashid Wendy Red Star Veronica Ryan Doris Salcedo Abdulrahim Salem Sangeeta Sandrasegar Varunika Saraf Khadija Saye Berni Searle Mithu Sen Nelly Sethna Aziza Shadenova Smita Sharma Nilima Sheikh Yinka Shonibare Felix Shumba Semsar Siahaan Mary Sibande Kahurangiariki Smith Inuuteq Storch Vivan Sundaram Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum Obaid Suroor The Living and the Dead Ensemble Hank Willis Thomas Akeim Toussaint Buck Fatimah Tuggar Hajra Waheed Barbara Walker Wang Jianwei Nari Ward Carrie Mae Weems Nil Yalter