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Vyjayanthi Rao named as Curator of Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2026
United Arab Emirates Architecture News - May 06, 2025 - 05:21 3432 views
The third iteration of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial (SAT) will be curated by Vyjayanthi Rao, with Tau Tavengwa serving as associate curator. The Triennial, which will take place in 2026, will provide a platform for architecture and urban design from West Asia to South Asia and Africa.
Based in New York and Mumbai, Rao is an anthropologist, writer, artist, and curator who combines her work with a multidisciplinary approach and an in depth understanding of context. Her approach increasingly connects research with public involvement, and her writing, which focuses on India and the United States, has made a significant contribution to the critical discourse on urbanism and the built environment. She has a background in socio-cultural anthropology.
Rao continues the dynamic conversation that started with their curatorial partnership for the 2022 Lisbon Architecture Triennale by collaborating closely with Tavengwa, a curator based in Cape Town and London, on SAT03.
In addition to co-founding CS Studio, an interdisciplinary urbanism studio, Tavengwa is the founder and editor of Cityscapes Magazine, a journal devoted to examining urbanism from a Global South perspective.
Al Borde, Raw Threshold, 2023. Photo © Danko Stjepanovic. Courtesy of Sharjah Architecture Triennial
"We are thrilled to have Vyjayanthi Rao as curator for our upcoming edition. Her deep knowledge of urbanism, with her particular focus on South Asian cities and neighborhoods, brings invaluable insight to the project. With her background in anthropology and her research- driven approach, she will undoubtedly offer a fresh perspective to this edition," said Mona El-Mousfy, advisor for the Sharjah Architecture Triennial.
"Vyjayanthi has invited her long-time collaborator, Tau Tavengwa, to join as associate curator. Tau is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the field and reimagining the architecture Triennial model alongside her."
In addition to contributing more comprehensive perspectives on architecture's role in creating more sustainable, inclusive, and responsive cities, the curators will work closely with the Triennial team to expand on its ongoing public realm initiatives, leveraging its extensive knowledge of the city and community networks. Rao and Tavengwa encourage SAT03 to take a propositional rather than representational approach, in keeping with the Sharjah Architecture Triennial's emphasis on process as a tool for idea production.
Wallmakers, 3-Minute Corridor, 2023. Photo © Danko Stjepanovic. Courtesy of Sharjah Architecture Triennial
"We are hugely grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such an important and distinctive platform as the Sharjah Architecture Triennial," said Vyjayanthi Rao and Tau Tavengwa.
"Through our collaboration, we hope to open up new ways of thinking about what a triennial like Sharjah can become over time - leaving behind tangible strategies and ideas that respond to the needs and challenges of contemporary urban centres across the Global South and beyond," Rao and Tavengwa added.
"Rao’s practice, which offers vital insights into urbanisation, aligns with the context of SAT and Sharjah’s ongoing urban transformation. Her work speaks directly to the Triennial’s mission in terms of our commitment to research, innovation and knowledge-sharing, and we are excited to support both her and Tau in fostering a public-facing conversation around the critical, and complex, issues of today," said Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial.
Vyjayanthi Rao and Tau Tavengwa will make their first public appearances as SAT03 curator and associate curator, respectively, at the Sharjah Architecture Triennial's "Meet the Curators of the 2026 SAT Edition," a public event at SAT headquarters, Al Qasimiyah School, on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
Audiences will have a rare chance to interact with the recently hired team at this event as they provide preliminary details about their curatorial philosophy and plans for the next edition. Speaking with SAT team members, the discussion will provide an initial glimpse into the conceptual foundation guiding SAT03.
See the 10-must see installations from the second iteration of the Sharjah Architecture Triennial in 2023, which was curated by Tosin Oshinowo.
The top image in the article (Left) Vyjayanthi Rao. Photographed by Alfonse Chiu. Image courtesy of Vyjayanthi Rao. (Right) Tau Tavengwa. Photographed by Samer Moukarzel. Image courtesy of Tau Tavengwa.
