Curator, artist, as well as president and director of the Sharjah Art Foundation Hoor Al-Qasimi has a long list of curatorial accolades to add under her belt. It has been a busy few years for the cultural leader: having completed the 2020 Lahore Biennale and 2025 Sharjah Biennial, Al-Qasimi is now gearing up for her appointments as the artistic director of both the 2025 Aichi Triennale and 2026 Sydney Biennale. Thoughtful and provocative, Al-Qasimi’s curatorial endeavors are often reflective of our current era, posing new connections between artists, audiences, and the environments around them. 

Earlier this June, ArtAsiaPacific spoke with Al-Qasimi about her upcoming project in Aichi, which also marks her curatorial debut in Japan and the first time that the event is being led by a non-Japanese individual. Now in its sixth edition, the storied triennial is one of the best-known international festivals that highlights sociopolitical urgencies of our time, unfolding across the Aichi Arts Center, the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum, and various locations in Seto City. This year’s event, titled “A Time Between Ashes and Roses” in reference to the eponymous poem by Syrian writer and poet Adonis, gathers more than 60 artists and groups in its main exhibition to examine issues related to environmental degradation that we collectively face. With a focus on unpacking the complex relationship between humans and the natural world, Al-Qasimi’s triennial weaves together the broader considerations of this global narrative, the city’s geographical and sociohistorical situatedness, and an astute attention to contemporary artistic practice. During our conversation, the curator offered up insights into her approach and process, as well as the impetus behind the exposition.