The Karachi Biennale in Pakistan announced the cancellation of its fifth edition in an Instagram statement on Friday, October 9, citing logistical constraints and uncertainties amid "war conditions prevailing in the region."
Originally scheduled for January 16 through January 31, the biennale was to welcome 72 artists from 18 countries to Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan and the capital of its Sindh province. It is not yet clear what specific circumstances or events in the region contributed to the cancellation, which reportedly occurred without the input of the biennale’s curator, Noor Ahmed, according to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn’s cultural imprint, Images.
"Artists and partners have been contacting me and they are all quite disappointed about how communications and commitments with them are being handled," Ahmed told Hyperallergic. For the past 13 months, she engaged over 100 artists and practices for the biennale and enlisted three individuals to co-curate sections of the event.
The Karachi Biennale Trust, which organizes the event, has not replied to Hyperallergic's immediate request for comment.