Karachi Biennale 2027 cancelled over regional war ...

Summary

• Karachi Biennale 2027 will not take place, its organisers said on Friday, citing war conditions in the region and the logistical problems they have caused.
• A milestone Karachi Biennale yearThe 2027 show was meant to be a landmark for the trust.
• “I am very concerned that this decision by the Karachi Biennale Trust is detrimental,” Ahmed said.

AI Generated Summary

Karachi Biennale 2027 will not take place, its organisers said on Friday, citing war conditions in the region and the logistical problems they have caused.

Organisers had planned the fifth edition for January 16 to 31 at venues across the city. However, the Karachi Biennale Trust (KBT) announced its cancellation in a short post on Instagram.

The trust said it was “forced to cancel KB27” because of the war conditions and the resulting uncertainty. It also thanked artists, sponsors, partners and well-wishers for their “unstinting support”.

Still, the organisers gave no date for a future edition. As a result, it remains unclear whether the event will return later in 2027 or pause for longer.

A milestone Karachi Biennale year

The 2027 show was meant to be a landmark for the trust. It would have marked ten years since the first Karachi Biennale opened in 2017 under the theme Witness.

Since then, the event has changed curators and themes every two years. Muhammad Zeeshan took up ecology in 2019, Faisal Anwar took on technology in 2022, and Waheeda Baloch examined food security in 2024.