Brendon and Suzette Bell-Roberts visited the expansive exhibition in February. They write briefly about Five Curators, 190 Artists, over 600 artworks and a Global Dialogue on What We Hold and How We Move.
The theme of Sharjah Biennale 16, to carry, presents a multifaceted and interpretive concept. This edition introduced a departure from past formats, with five curators from diverse national backgrounds curating the expansive exhibition. The continually growing exploration of what to carry and how to carry it serves as an invitation to engage with the diverse perspectives and curatorial approaches of Natasha Ginwala, Meghan Tamati-Quennell, Zeynep Öz, Alia Swastika, and Amal Khalaf, along with the constellation of connections and dialogues they have assembled. The Biennial brings together over 190 global artists and includes 86 newly commissioned works by artists and collectives. The more than 650 works together form an evolving collection of narratives that span time, place, ideas, and cultures, engaging with the central question of what to carry and how to carry it.
Monira Al Qadiri, Gastromancer, 2023. Two sculptures, fibreglass and sand. Photographer: Suzette Bell-Roberts
In her opening address, Hoor Al Qasimi remarked, “Sharjah has long been a champion of art and culture. The Biennial had its first edition in April of 1993, 32 years ago, making it the longest continuously running Biennial in the region. Since taking over the role of curator and artistic director in 2003, I’ve been privileged to watch the Biennial’s development over the years, now as a result of the efforts and commitments of artists, curators, and the most amazing Sharjah Art Foundation team the Biennial has achieved remarkable acclaimed an unassailable reputation regionally and internationally.”
Adelita Husni-Bey, Hunger Stones, 2025. Hand-carved stone boulders, various dimensions. Photographer: Suzette Bell-Roberts
The expansive event occurs in 13 different venues across the Emirate of Sharjah, including the city of Sharjah, Al Hamriyah in the Arabian Gulf, Al Dahid in the central region and Kalba in the Indian Ocean. Committed to the adaptive reuse of historic structures, the Sharjah Art Foundation (the Biennale is a core initiative) has preserved several heritage sites across the Emirate of Sharjah to create venues for exhibitions, events, learning programmes and working spaces for artists and community members. The Biennial presentations across these venues weave narratives shaped by diverse perspectives, geographies, and languages, and the projects presented contemplate what it means to carry change and its technological, societal, animistic or ritualistic possibilities as community doulas would hold space for others during moments of transition. In some venues, projects curated by different curators intersect, while in other locations, a single curator’s narrative unfolds throughout the entire space.
Michael Pareköwhai, Seldom is Herd, 2009/2024. Patinated bronze, 110 x 85 x 163cm (buck), 95 x 105 x 120cm (doe). Photographer: Brendon Bell-Roberts
The theme to carry recognises our fragility in unfamiliar places while staying connected to the cultures we bring with us. It also connects different times, bringing together stories passed down through generations and the things we inherit. What do we carry when it is time to travel, flee, or move on? What passages do we form as we migrate between territories and across time? What do we carry when we remain? What do we carry when we survive?
Installation view of Womanifesto. Photographer: Brendon Bell-Roberts
to carry envisions the Biennial as a shared journey of navigation and understanding—a way of seeing with intention, looking back, inward, and across, rather than turning away in the face of destruction and oppression. 
Hugh Hayden, Brier Patch, 2022. Wood and school desks sculptural installation. Photographer: Suzette Bell-Roberts.
In a statement by the curators, they propose, ‘Our projects come under the umbrella of a question rather than a theme. What does carrying a home, ancestors and political formations entail with you? This spirit of inquiry coalesces with artistic methods grounded in stories of change and movement, intergenerational kinship, lament and ritual, experimental pedagogies, and knowledge of land and sea terrains. Attesting to the responsibility as both guest and host, we conjure possibilities of acting in the world and being together through tenderness, failure and rage as gestures of care, resource exchange and alliance building.’ 
Alualy Kaumakan, Vines in the Mountains, 2020. Installation view. Courtesy of Suzette Bell-Roberts
The curators have brought their own approaches while working together and individually, creating space to listen and support one another. Different curatorial methods, including residencies, workshops, group collaborations, writing, sound experiences, and expanded publications, are an ongoing part of the Biennial. These elements will foster meaningful discussions and shape a growing collection of stories from many perspectives, places, and languages.
Yhonnie Scarce, Orford Ness, 2022. 1,000 hand-blown glass yams, stainless steel, reinforced wire, 500 x 350 x 400cm. Photographer: Brendon Bell-Roberts.
‘The constellation of diverse methodologies that the five curators have gathered offers audiences the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking dialogues bridging the local context with global narratives about identity, movement, change and collectivity,’ said Hoor Al Qasimi. ‘By centring the act of carrying, Sharjah Biennial 16 offers a space for imagining new collective futures while recognising the weight of shared histories and experiences.’
Michael Parekōwhai, Te Ao Hurihrui, 2009-2024. Installation view. Photographer: Brendon Bell-Roberts
The official opening attracted a wide range of attendees, from artists and curators to activists, collectors, and institutional leaders. A powerful performance by Māori artists and activists closed the event, offering a compelling interpretation of the Biennial’s themes and curatorial vision. Including First Nations artists highlights the Biennial’s commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and honouring diverse cultural legacies. These artistic contributions bridge tradition and contemporary practice, sparking critical conversations and broadening global perspectives. Through this engagement, the Biennial fosters deeper connections, encourages cross-cultural understanding, and reaffirms the value of Indigenous storytelling in the art world.
Zadie Xa with Benito Mayor Vallejo, Sons Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales. Installation view. Photographer: Suzette Bell-Roberts
Read the full story about the extensive Biennale in our next digital edition next week.
For more information on Sharjah Biennial 16, please visit the Sharjah Art Foundation.
Suzette Bell-Roberts is the Co-founder and Digital Editor of ART AFRICA magazine.
