Amal Khalaf and Evelyn Simons Named Co-Artistic Directors for 2026 Busan Biennale

Amal Khalaf and Evelyn Simons will lead the 2026 Busan Biennale as co-artistic directors, appointed by the Busan Biennale Organizing Committee. Their selection followed an open call that attracted around 70 applicants from Korea and internationally. Khalaf serves as director of programs at Cubitt and projects curator at London's Serpentine Galleries, while Simons works independently from Brussels. Khalaf previously curated the Sharjah Biennial 16 and Bahrain's 2019 Venice Biennale pavilion, co-directing Art Dubai's Global Art Forum in 2016. Simons curated Horst Arts and Music festival's visual arts program from 2019 to 2023 and currently presents "These Branching Moments" at Fotomuseum Antwerp through September 28. The biennial's 13th edition, themed "Dissident Chorus," opens in September 2026 at Busan Museum of Contemporary Art and various city sites. Executive director Joon Lee praised their proposal for addressing memory, empathy, care, resistance, and solidarity toward global collective healing. The committee committed to supporting their community engagement and collaborative approach.