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Karachi Biennale Trust

KBT aims at creating a ‘Public Art Presence’ through a city-wide art event & educational programs.

3rd KARACHI BIENNALE
Oct 31 to Nov 13, 2022

Theme: Collective Imagination: Now and the Next An integration of art and technology

Venues: 9 the cultural and heritage sites across the city

Activities: International art exhibitions, talks by artists, discursive sessions, art workshops in schools, training and professional development for artists and art professionals, guided tours of art exhibits,

health and wellness workshops. A project of the Karachi Biennale Trust

The Karachi Biennale aims to create a platform for public engagement with the arts. A fast growing arts scene has flourished within the white cube spaces of galleries that dot the city. Our goal is to bring visual art into public spaces, to invite dialogue and reflection on critical themes. During the 1st Biennale in 2017, local and international artists explored the city's history as a "Witness" and during the 2nd Biennale in 2019, they explored the theme of "Ecology" and environmental preservation. Pakistan has begun to feature prominently on the global map with many points of creative interest that have arisen with the international achievements of its artists. The 3rd biennale will create opportunities for international and local artists to collectively explore digital tools and mediums to extend the boundaries of art.

17/08/2026

‼️DEADLINE EXTENDED‼️ Due to the overwhelming volume of applications, we are extending the deadline for KBAD profile updates and submissions to September 5, 2026.

If you’re an artist, curator, writer, photographer, researcher, documentary filmmaker, or represent an institution, gallery, museum, library, publication, or art platform, you now have additional time to submit or update your profile.

New Deadline: September 5, 2026

Submit via email:

Update existing profile: KBAD - Update

New submission: KBAD - SUBMISSION - (CATEGORY)

For queries: [email protected]

Save the Date:
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

[Karachi Biennale 2027, KBT, curatorial practice, contemporary art, biennale, global art, cultural exchange, art ecologies, Global South, Karachi art]

13/08/2026

Open Call: Research Papers 🔊📚
Kal Roundtable | Karachi Biennale 2027

The Kal Roundtable, organized by the KB Discursive Committee, invites researchers, art historians, art critics, educators, and scholars to revisit Pakistan’s art history through under-documented or excluded narratives.

All papers presented will be compiled in an e-publication as seminal research on inclusive histories.

Submit original research on one of the following sub-themes:

- Mentor-driven art pedagogies in small towns and marginalized spaces
- Critical examination of home-grown Art Movements in Pakistan
- In-depth focus on art interventions: publications, spaces, residencies founded by individuals and collectives

Submission Guidelines:

- Abstract: 700–1000 words
- Final paper: 3000–5000 words (+ approx. 20 images)

📅 Deadlines:

- Abstract Submission: September 30, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: October 15, 2026
- Full Paper Submission: December 10–15, 2026

Submit via email at [email protected]
For queries please email us at [email protected]

Full brief available via link in bio. 🔗

Save the Date:
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

07/08/2026

Part 2 of our ‘Aaj Aur Kal’ e-catalog launch recap—continuing the conversation with our final panelists:

🎙️ Noor Ahmed Noor Ahmed , KB27 Curator and co-curator of ‘Aaj Aur Kal’, on the exhibition’s origins—how conversations with Amin began in October last year, and how the e-catalog will live forever, a document for future artists, curators, and researchers to learn from, critique, and build upon. She also shares a glimpse of KB27—opening January 16th across six locations in Karachi.

🎙️ Elena Bajo speaks about “The Owl of Minerva Only Flies at Dusk”—exploring ancestral cosmologies, ecological futures, and Zapotec territories through video and performance.

🎙️ Bilal Ahmed presents “Raqs e Junoon”—a performance reclaiming movement as both protest and prayer. The whirling dervish becomes an act of becoming, a conversation between past and present.

🎙️ B. Ajay Sharma presents “Motherland and Other Stories”—a critical exploration of displacement, identity, and the political weaponization of religion and nationalism through allegorical performance.

🎙️ Rabeya Jalil reflects on performance in Pakistan—a defiant, visceral medium. For her, ‘Aaj Aur Kal’ is defined by simultaneity: several performances at once, an invitation into a shared creative consciousness.

The conversation closed with Amin Gulgee thanking the artists, the writers, and the entire team—reminding us that we leave behind our own stories of what happened at a certain time and place.

📅 Save the Date ✨
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

06/08/2026

Last week, we launched the Aaj Aur Kal E-Catalog. Here’s Part 1 of our recap, featuring highlights from the conversation:

🎙️ Zainab Marvi, Zainab Marvi - KB27 Creative Director, on designing the e-catalog—bilingual, immersive, and built to reflect the spirit of the exhibition.

🎙️ Birgitta Hosea presents “Yellow Entanglement”—a performance exploring the elasticity of time and the loops we get trapped in.

🎙️ Rumana Husain shares the legend of the red dress—a story of a community, a tradition at risk of being lost, and the power of storytelling.

🎙️ Tara Al-Dugaither walks us through “Tajliba”—re-imagining an ancient South Iraqi ritual dance as a meditation on feminine divine narratives and inherited memory.

🎙️ Risham Syed shares “Raga Ramkali”—a sound piece from her mother’s archive, preserved as an act of devotion, continuity, and listening.

Swipe through for a glimpse into the conversation—and stay tuned for Part 2!

📅 Save the Date ✨
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

05/08/2026

A decade of Karachi Biennale, with locations all across the city, marked by our Limited Edition Coasters! In Collaboration with Keepsakes Pakistan. Keepsakes Pakistan

Each one holds a fragment of our journey. Can you identify which locations in the city are captured here?

These special edition coasters, produced in collaboration with Keepsakes Pakistan, honour ten years of artistic exchange and cultural memory. A limited release for those who appreciate the details.

For inquiries and orders, please DM us.

Save the Date ✨
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

27/07/2026

Introducing our panelists for the Aaj Aur Kal e-catalog launch 🌹

You are warmly invited to join us on August 1st as we launch the catalog with the curators and artists who made the night possible.

On February 13th, the Gulgee Museum hosted a one-night exhibition of performance, installation and new media, curated by Amin Gulgee and Noor Ahmed. The E-Catalog, designed by Zainab Marvi Zainab Marvi, KB27 Creative Director, documents the works, the research, and the thinking behind the exhibition.

We are joined by a distinguished panel of participating artists and contributors:

🎙️ Birgitta Hosea
🎙️ Rumana Husain
🎙️ Tara al Dugaither
🎙️ Risham Syed
🎙️ Elena Bajo
🎙️ Bilal Ahmed
🎙️ B. Ajay Sharma
🎙️ Rabeya Jalil

📅 Date: August 1st
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM PKT / 2:00 PM CEST
📍 Platform: Online

Register now—link in bio.

Save the Date ✨
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

23/07/2026

ICYMI — here’s a glimpse into River Talk II, which took place on July 2, 2026 🌊

River Talk II brought together four wonderful perspectives from iLiana Fokianaki, Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock, Silvia Franceschini, Sonia Mehra Chawla and Nusrat Khawaja. The session was introduced by Noor Ahmed, Martina Huber, and Anushka Rajendran, and concluded with a collective discussion with all attendees.

Swipe through for edited snippets from each contributor as they introduce their projects.

Featuring:
iLiana Fokianaki, Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock, Silvia Franceschini, Sonia Mehra Chawla, Nusrat Khawaja, Noor Ahmed, Martina Huber, Anushka Rajendran.

River Landscapes is a transdisciplinary initiative between Europe and South Asia focused on living with rivers. It questions the extractive ways in which water bodies are framed and governed, proposing a bottom-up approach in which glossary entries are co-created by local communities, artists, and scientists through field research and workshops, oral history archives, commissioned exhibitions, and publications.

Hosted by River Landscapes, Karachi Biennale 2027, WE ARE AIA | Awareness in Art, and Prameya Art Foundation.
River Landscapes is supported by Pro Helvetia Synergies Fund.

Save the Date:
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

[Karachi Biennale 2027] [KBT] [curatorial practice] [contemporary art] [biennale] [global art] [cultural exchange] [art ecologies] [Global South] [Karachi art]

22/07/2026

You are warmly invited to the launch of the Aaj Aur Kal e-catalog!

On February 13th, the Gulgee Museum hosted a one-night exhibition of performance, installation and new media, curated by Amin Gulgee and Noor Ahmed.

The E-Catalog, designed by Zainab Marvi, KB27 Creative Director, documents the works, the research, and the thinking behind the exhibition.

Join us on August 1st as we launch the catalog with the curators and artists who made the night possible.

📅 Date: August 1st
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM PST / 2:00 PM CEST
📍 Platform: Online
🎙 Panelists: Rabeya Jalil, Risham Syed, B. Ajay Sharma, Rumana Husain, Bilal Ahmed, Tara Al-Dugaither, Elena Bajo, and Birgitta Hosea

Register now—link in bio.

Save the Date ✨
KB27 - Fifth Karachi Biennale 2027
16th – 31st January 2027
Curated by Noor Ahmed

Address

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Telephone

+923008236802

Website

http://www.karachibiennale.org.pk/

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