Hoor Al Qasimi ©SEBASTIAN BÖTTCHER
On July 5, the Aichi Triennale Organizing Committee announced the appointment of Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, as the artistic director of Aichi Triennale 2025. Al Qasimi is the first non-Japanese artistic director to helm the exhibition, whose sixth edition is slated to take place in 2025.
Hoor Al Qasimi (born 1980, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) founded the Sharjah Art Foundation in 2009 as a catalyst and advocate for the arts, not only in Sharjah, UAE but also regionally and internationally. She was elected as President of the International Biennial Association (IBA) in 2017, and served as a board member for MoMA PS1, New York (2010–2021), and the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing (2013–2016), among others. With a passion for supporting experimentation and innovation in the arts, Al Qasimi has continuously expanded the scope of the Foundation to include major international touring exhibitions; artist and curator residencies in visual art, film, and music; commissions and production grants for emerging artists; publications and publication grants; performance and film festivals; architectural research and restoration; and a wide range of educational programming in Sharjah for all age groups. Since co-curating the 6th Sharjah Biennial (2003), Al Qasimi has remained Biennial Director and curated the 15th Sharjah Biennial (2023), conceived by the late curator Okwui Enwezor. She also previously served as curator of the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale (2015) and the 2nd Lahore Biennale (2020) in Pakistan.
Upon her appointment, Al Qasimi commented, “I am very honored and pleased to be appointed as Artistic Director of the Aichi Triennale 2025. I have had a long history with Japan, its language, culture, artists, and curators, and am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside many more professionals to learn more about Aichi and to work closely with local artists and communities to produce what I hope would be a meaningful exhibition and project.”
“In my 20 years of experience working at Sharjah Biennial and other biennials, as well as my role as President of the International Biennial Association, I am looking forward to highlighting the work of Aichi Triennale and the upcoming addition as well as collaborating with various partners across the globe,” she said.
For the selection process, several candidates were recommended by nominators, including individuals associated with the Aichi Triennale. Subsequently, the Aichi Triennale Advisory Board selected finalists, and the final decision was made by Takeo Obayashi, Chairperson of the Aichi Triennale Organizing Committee (Chairperson of the Board at Obayashi Corporation). The Organizing Committee selected Al Qasimi due to her wealth of experience and accomplishments as an international curator and director, and she is poised to create an art festival of international acclaim. Al Qasimi possesses a robust global network in the art world that will enhance Aichi’s presence on the world stage. Having held significant leadership roles as a president of an art foundation, Al Qasimi is poised to lead the Aichi Triennale towards artistic excellence, igniting inspiration and captivating audiences worldwide.
Aichi Triennale：https://aichitriennale.jp/en/