The 2027 Karachi Biennale has been cancelled, with the organisers citing in a statement the ‘war conditions prevailing in the regions’. Curated by Noor Ahmed, the fifth edition of the event was due to open for two months from 16 January.
Ahmed had intended the exhibition, titled Kal (Yesterday/Tomorrow), to be ‘a dedication for the hopeful Tomorrow.’
As a key ally of Saudi Arabia, as well as sharing a border with Iran, Pakistan has been drawn into the conflict with Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Ahmed told Pakistan’s Images that she was not consulted on the decision to axe the event, which was ‘devastating for the artists, curators and partners who have devoted so much time and effort in preparing for the Biennale’.
The fourth Lahore Biennale is due to open in March, alongside the 14th general assembly for the International Biennial Association.