The Sharjah Biennial, produced by the Sharjah Art Foundation, is the region’s long-running contemporary art biennial. The Foundation says it launched in 1993. Sharjah Biennial 17: What remains, sits restive runs from 21 January to 13 June 2027, with an opening week on 21 to 24 January 2027, across Sharjah City, Al Dhaid, Khorfakkan, Kalba and other locations (Sharjah Art Foundation, 27 April 2026).
Biennial 17 at a glance
- Dates: 21 January to 13 June 2027; opening week 21 to 24 January.
- Curators: Angela Harutyunyan and Paula Nascimento.
- Participants: 109, according to the Foundation.
- Locations: Sharjah City, Al Dhaid, Khorfakkan, Kalba and other places in the emirate.
- Cost: the Foundation states that all its exhibitions are free and open to the public; confirm for individual events and screenings.
The previous edition
Sharjah Biennial 16, to carry, ran from 6 February to 15 June 2025, with an opening week from 6 to 9 February (Sharjah Art Foundation).
How to plan
- Use the official programme. Venue lists, hours and opening-week events are published by the Foundation.
- Spread visits over several days. Venues stretch from Sharjah City to the east coast, so plan driving time.
- Check accessibility and hours for each site before you go.
- Visit the Arts Area in the city centre for the Foundation’s year-round programme.
- Consider an east-coast day if you want to see sites in Khorfakkan or Kalba.
Where this fits
The Foundation says Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums, and it runs year-round exhibitions in historic buildings across the city. For other cultural dates, see the Sharjah events calendar and our autumn arts guide.
The curatorial framework
The Foundation describes the shared theme as the way remainders of “unlived pasts” continue to animate the present. The two curators approach it differently:
- Angela Harutyunyan traces the afterlives of socialist modernity as seen from the peripheries of modernisation and anti-colonial struggles, with 55 participants.
- Paula Nascimento uses infrastructure as a method to explore how space, place and memory intersect, with 54 participants.
Harutyunyan is a Professor of Contemporary Art and Theory at the Berlin University of the Arts; Nascimento is an architect and separate curator based in Luanda, according to the Foundation.
About the organiser
Sharjah Art Foundation was established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Biennial and describes itself as a legally separate public body established by Emiri Decree. Its core initiatives include the Biennial, the annual March Meeting, grants and residencies, commissions and publications. Its Information Centre is at Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah, which is a practical first stop for printed maps and programme information.
A first-timer’s approach
- Pick a base. For a first visit, choose venues in and around Al Mureijah Square and the historic centre.
- Allow time. Contemporary works often include film and sound that ask for minutes, not seconds.
- Add one outer site if you have a second day, such as a venue outside the city.
- Check opening week events. The opening week (21 to 24 January 2027) is when artists and curators are usually present; confirm the schedule with the Foundation.
- Go with a question, such as “what does this work say about place?”, which makes the visit easier.
Frequently asked questions
When is Sharjah Biennial 17?
21 January to 13 June 2027, with the opening week from 21 to 24 January.
Who organises it?
Sharjah Art Foundation.
Who are the curators?
Angela Harutyunyan and Paula Nascimento.
Is it free?
The Foundation states its exhibitions are free and open to the public; check for specific events.
Event information checked on the date shown and may change. Always confirm dates, times, tickets and venue details on the official website before you go. General information only. Information checked 2 October 2026.