In response to a growing interest in contemporary art, Sharjah Art Foundation was created in 2009 as an institution that would ensure continuity with the history of the biennial, initiated in 1993, while

offering a year-round programme of exhibitions and events. Since the Sharjah Biennial 6 in 2003, the programme has been led by the Sharjah Art Foundation president and director Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, a practising artist who received a BFA from the Slade, London, and an MA in curating contemporary art from the Royal College of Art, London. Sharjah Biennial is the longest-running contemporary art event in the United Arab Emirates. Inspired by the cross-fertilisation and rich cultural diversity of the Emirates, the foundation provides both national and international leadership in the production and presentation of the contemporary visual arts. Recognising the central and distinctive contribution that art makes to society, a spirit of research, experimentation and excellence is cultivated by offering support to artists and art practitioners, while acting as a catalyst for collaboration and exchange within the Middle East and beyond.

Source: Aga Khan Award for Architecture