Ekow Eshun Appointed Curator of the 13th SITE SANTA FE International Biennial

SITE SANTA FE International Curator Ekow Eshun. Courtesy SITE SANTA FE International

The 13th edition of SITE SANTA FE’s International Biennial will open in summer 2027 and run through early 2028

SITE SANTA FE has announced the appointment of British curator, writer, and broadcaster Ekow Eshun as curator of the 13th edition of its International Biennial, marking a new chapter in the long-standing legacy of one of the United States’ most influential contemporary art exhibitions. The next edition of the Biennial will return to its full name — the SITE SANTA FE International Biennial — in recognition of its founding identity and to reaffirm its cyclical commitment to global contemporary art.

The appointment follows the critically acclaimed 2023–24 edition Once Within a Time, curated by Cecilia Alemani, which was inspired by the many real and imagined characters that have shaped the region’s cultural histories. Eshun’s edition will build on this rich legacy, bringing a global perspective and a curatorial vision deeply informed by transnational dialogue, Black diasporic histories, and a wide-ranging engagement with literature, film, music, and visual art.

“The Biennial thrives on dialogue and experimentation, and with each edition, SITE SANTA FE invites curators whose unique perspectives challenge us to see the world differently,” said Louis Grachos, Phillips Executive Director of SITE SANTA FE. “Eshun’s visionary approach, informed by Black diasporic histories, transnational experience, and an engagement with art, literature, music, and film, is both intellectually rigorous and globally resonant. We are confident he will extend and reimagine the Biennial’s legacy.”

Eshun will curate the Biennial from his base in London, drawing on a curatorial practice that spans continents and disciplines. His 2022 exhibition In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery brought together artists of the African diaspora engaging with myth, science fiction, and speculative futures, while The Time Is Always Now (2024) at London’s National Portrait Gallery examined the representation of the Black figure in Western art history. In Black Earth Rising, Eshun explored the interrelation between climate change and colonial legacies through the work of artists from across the Global South.

“I’m honored to be invited to curate the 13th SITE SANTA FE International Biennial,” said Ekow Eshun. “New Mexico, known as the Land of Enchantment, is a place where land, imagination, and lived experience are deeply entwined, and where ecological forces have profoundly shaped cultural and human relations. Santa Fe is a site where multiple histories, cultures, and stories intersect, and that richness offers a compelling starting point for an exhibition. I’m excited to collaborate with artists to shape a project that moves between the local and the global, the real and the imagined.”

As in past editions, the 13th Biennial will extend beyond SITE SANTA FE’s galleries to activate various public spaces throughout Santa Fe, inviting visitors to encounter the city through the lens of artistic experimentation. Details about the curatorial theme, artist list, and accompanying public program will be announced in fall 2026.

Ekow Eshun OBE is a renowned curator, writer, and broadcaster known for his critical and creative contributions to contemporary culture. He was the first Black director of a major UK arts institution as Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London and currently serves as Chair of the Fourth Plinth Commission in Trafalgar Square. He was awarded the Association for Art History’s Curatorial Prize in 2023 and has contributed writing to The New York Times, Financial Times, Vogue, and many other international publications. His most recent book, The Strangers, intertwines biography, history, and personal reflection, chronicling the lives of five influential Black men. Eshun is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Launched in 1995, the SITE SANTA FE International Biennial was the first of its kind in the United States, setting a new precedent for community-wide contemporary art exhibitions. It has since inspired biennial formats across the country and remains a cornerstone of SITE SANTA FE’s programming. Through its commitment to experimental curation and meaningful connection to place, the Biennial continues to provide a platform for artists and curators to produce ambitious new work in dialogue with the unique cultural and ecological landscape of New Mexico.

For more information, visit sitesantafe.org

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