The 13th edition of the Berlin Biennale will be curated by Zasha Colah, exhibition organizers announced on Tuesday. Colah, a curator and writer, was selected by an international committee consisting of prominent figures in the art world. Zasha Colah has dedicated her work to exploring artistic expression under conditions of sustained oppression. Her doctoral research in 2020 focused on illegality and meta-exhibition practices in Indo-Myanmar, starting in the 1980s. Earlier this year, she assumed the role of artistic director at ar/ge kunst Bolzano in Italy, alongside Francesca Verga. Colah has co-founded several important initiatives, including the research collaborative blackrice in 2007 and the artist and curatorial collective Clark House Initiative from 2010 to 2022. She has also served as curator of Indian Modern Art at the CSMVS Museum in Mumbai and as curator of public programs at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Mumbai.
In her recent curatorial projects, Colah collaborated with Marianne Zamecznik on the temporary public art commission “Pedro Gómez-Egaña: Inmeridiem” for Deichmanske bibliotek at the National Public Library in Oslo (2021-22). She also curated exhibitions such as “Anawana Haloba: How to (re)pair my grandmother’s basket” and “Muna Mussie: Bologna St. 173” at Archvie Milano, Italy (2021). Colah’s curatorial experience extends to major events such as the third Pune Biennale in 2017, which she curated alongside Luca Cerizza, and the second Yinchuan Biennale in 2018, where she was part of the curatorial team led by Marco Scotini.
The 13th Berlin Biennale is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2025. With Colah at the helm, the event promises to be a platform for thought-provoking artistic expressions and critical engagement. The Berlin Biennale has long been recognized as an influential exhibition that brings together contemporary art and cultural discourse, and Colah’s selection as curator reinforces the event’s commitment to fostering innovative and socially relevant artistic practices.
The international selection committee, consisting of Sebastian Cichocki, Elena Filipovic, Krist Gruijthuijsen, Omar Kholeif, Manuela Moscoso, Olaf Nicolai, and Ugochukwu-Smooth C. Nzewi, played a crucial role in choosing Colah as the curator. Their collective expertise and diverse perspectives ensure that the 13th Berlin Biennale will present a dynamic and thought-provoking program.
As anticipation builds for the 2025 edition, art enthusiasts and the global art community eagerly await the unveiling of Zasha Colah’s vision for the Berlin Biennale, which is expected to push boundaries, challenge norms, and spark meaningful conversations.
