The Karachi Biennale Trust celebrated its tenth anniversary today with a major announcement at the Gulgee Museum, unveiling the fifth edition of the Karachi Biennale, scheduled from January 16 to January 31, 2027. The upcoming edition, titled “Kal — Yesterday Tomorrow,” will be curated by Noor Ahmed.
The press conference drew leading figures from Karachi’s corporate and art communities along with prominent media representatives. The event highlighted the journey of the Karachi Biennale Trust, founded in 2016 as a non profit platform promoting creativity, innovation and critical discourse in contemporary visual arts.
Chairperson Atteqa Malik opened the ceremony, followed by a visual presentation revisiting past biennales. The event also formally introduced the new Managing Trustee Shanaz Ramzi and curator Noor Ahmed.
Speaking at the conference, Ramzi said, “At ten years, the Karachi Biennale Trust stands as a testament to what sustained cultural collaboration can build for a city. As we look toward KB27, we reaffirm our commitment to making art publicly accessible while creating global conversations rooted in Karachi’s realities.”
Bushra Hussain, Artistic Director of KB27, reflected on previous editions and their impact. Noor Ahmed shared her curatorial vision, expressing her intention to expand the Biennale’s reach while remaining grounded in local narratives.
Ahmed is known internationally for her work on transdisciplinary art projects. She co curated River Landscapes between South Asia and Europe and was part of the curatorial team of the Pakistan Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, which won a silver award among 192 participating countries. She also led the Digital Curation of Lahore and Taxila Museums, Pakistan’s largest museum digitization initiative supported by the World Bank.
Following the press conference, guests attended the exclusive preview of “Aaj Aur Kal,” a one day exhibition curated by Amin Gulgee and Noor Ahmed. The exhibition featured performance, new media and installation works by 72 artists from 18 countries, including Salima Hashmi, RM Naeem, Raqs Media Collective, Meher Afroz, Heide Hatry, Natthaphon Chaiworawat, Richard Humann, Sohail Zuberi and Risham Syed.
The exhibition’s title reflects the elasticity of time in South Asian thought, where the word “Kal” signifies both yesterday and tomorrow. The special performance marked the official countdown to KB27.
Founded by art professionals and educators, the Karachi Biennale functions as a city wide temporary museum. It presents exhibitions, talks, seminars and public programs across heritage sites and public spaces, all free and open to the public.
With strong institutional backing from partners including Vertika Limited, Rafique and Naila Bhimjee, IVS School of Art and Architecture, Starlinks PR and the Gulgee Museum, the Karachi Biennale continues to position Karachi as a vital hub of contemporary art in South Asia.
