The Aichi Triennale opens its sixth edition curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, featuring Emirati artists

The 6th Aichi Triennale, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi as the first non-Japanese Artistic Director, explores future visions through geological time and features strong participation from Emirati artists including Mohammed Kazem, Maitha Abdalla, Shaikha Al Mazrou, and Afra Al Dhaheri.

ArtDayME: The Aichi Triennale, one of Japan’s leading international art events, opened its sixth edition to the public on 13 September 2025. Curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation—the first non-Japanese Artistic Director in the triennale’s history—the exhibition draws its title, A Time Between Ashes and Roses, from a verse by the Syrian poet Adonis, a leading voice in the contemporary Arab world.

The exhibition proposes a vision of the future that is framed through geological time, rather than through the current national or territorial perspectives, which tend to dictate our understanding of the divide between humanity and its environment.

Aichi Triennale opens its sixth edition curated by Hoor Al Qasimi

The triennale brings together 60 artists and collectives from 22 countries and territories whose practices span cultural memory, material experimentation, and popular imagination. Robert Andrew explores suppressed family histories through installations; Priyageetha Dia interweaves Southeast Asian labor histories with speculative tropics and machine logics; Simone Leigh presents her acclaimed ceramic and bronze sculptures in Japan for the first time; Faustin Linyekula debuts a performance rooted in dance, storytelling, and the politics of cultural survival; and Afra Al Dhaheri draws from her upbringing in Abu Dhabi, often blending performance, video, and installation.

Other participating Emirati artists include Mohammed Kazem, known for his work in conceptual art and experimental mediums; MaithaAbdalla, whose work spans film, sculpture, painting, and performance; and Shaikha Al Mazrou, who explores themes related to identity and cultural heritage through her multimedia works. Kamala Ibrahim Ishag, an artist now based in the UAE, addresses issues of migration and displacement, weaving in a rich narrative of her Sudanese heritage.

Celebrated manga artist Morohoshi Daijiro will debut a newly commissioned illustration, while Barrack (FuruhataTaiki + KondoKanako) transforms the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum into a café-restaurant and exhibition space that fosters exchange between local and international communities. Meanwhile, artist Sasaki Rui will create a site-specific installation in a recently closed public bathhouse in Seto City, reflecting on everyday life and the region’s deep ties to nature and ceramic traditions.

The opening ceremony was graced by Takeo Obayashi, Chairperson of the Aichi Triennale Organising Committee and Hideaki Omura, Governor of Aichi Prefecture, alongside a distinguished group of dignitaries from the UAE, including Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture; Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Government Relations Department; and Sheikha Nawar bint Ahmed Al Qassimi, Vice President of the Sharjah Art Foundation.

On view until 30 November 2025, the triennale will host roundtable discussions and artist talks on 14 and 15 September 2025. From 1 to 3 November 2025, ‘Three Special Days for Experiencing the Vibe of Ceramic City of Seto’ will be held, along with the Aichi Prefectural Ceramic Museum’s annual project of firing ceramics in the reproduction of an old kiln.