H.E. Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi (Venice, Italy). Courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation.

Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al-Qasimi appointed curator
for the National Pavilion of the United Arab Emirates
at the 56th Venice Biennale 

United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the Venice Biennale
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Abu Dhabi
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The National Pavilion United Arab Emirates (UAE) la Biennale di Venezia is pleased to announce the appointment of Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al-Qasimi, President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, as the curator of its contribution to the 56th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia, to be held in 2015. Commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, and under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, the exhibition will be held in the Arsenale – Sale d'Armi in a newly dedicated space for the long-term participation of the UAE.

Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi has contributed immeasurably to the growth of the critically renowned and respected Sharjah Biennial, and has helped expand the region's art and culture outreach to a wide audience through her work at the Sharjah Art Foundation. Her experience and ambitious vision have helped to realize milestone projects and exhibitions, placing the UAE firmly on the international art map. The National Pavilion UAE is honored to have Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi on board, and is confident that she will help to take the organization's academic and cultural programming to new heights. 

"We are proud Her Excellency Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi will curate our 2015 exhibition in Venice. The National Pavilion will greatly benefit from her expertise and vision," says Her Highness Sheikha Mariam bint Mohamed Al Nahyan, Chair of the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation.

"I am honored to serve in the role of curator for the National Pavilion for the UAE la Biennale di Venezia.  I believe it is important to recognize the great depth of artistic talent in the UAE and to acknowledge the history of art and cultural production in this country," said Her Excellency Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi.

About Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi
Hoor Al-Qasimi, President and Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, is a practicing artist who received her BFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London (2002), a Diploma in Painting from the Royal Academy of Arts (2005) and an MA in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London (2008). In 2003 she was appointed curator of Sharjah Biennial 6 and has continued as the Biennial's Director since that time. 

She is Chair of the Advisory Board for the College of Art and Design, University of Sharjah; Member of the Advisory Board, Khoj International Artists' Association, India; and Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; and serves on the Board of Directors for MoMA PS1, New York; KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin; the International Biennial Association, Gwangju; and Ashkal Alwan, Beirut. Al-Qasimi is a Visiting Lecturer at Slade School of Fine Art, London, and is currently a Scholar-in-Residence with The Institute for Comparative Modernities (ICM) at Cornell University. She has served on the juries for the Dubai International Film Festival (2014), the Benesse Prize (2013), the Sheikha Manal Young Artist Award (2012), and the selection panel for the Berlin Biennial (2012).

Her recent and upcoming curatorial projects at SAF include In Spite of it All (2012) and Ilya and Emilia Kabakov: A Collective Memory (2013), and in 2014 Ahmed Mater: 100 Found Objects, Abdullah Al Saadi: Al-Toubay, Rasheed Araeen: Before and After Minimalism, Wael Shawky: Horsemen Adore Perfumes and other stories, and Susan Hefuna: Another Place.

About the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates la Biennale di Venezia
Initiated in 2008, the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates la Biennale Di Venezia, commissioned by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, and under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Community Development, manages the UAE's participation in various offerings of la Biennale di Venezia. Currently, the National Pavilion engages the International Architecture Exhibition with a debut pavilion in 2014, curated by Michelle Bambling, and the International Art Exhibition with participation in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

The office also organizes the Venice Internship, offering a range of opportunities to young Emiratis keen to engage with culture and arts at the highest international level through a one-month internship on-site in Venice, acting as custodians of the National Pavilion. These interns manage the exhibition and participate in a rigorous educational program.

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