Abir Boukhari
Syrian-Swedish Curator, based in Stockholm
Co-founder & Director of AllArtNow Art Space, 2005 to Date https://www.allartnow.com/
Background and education
- Awarded The city of Stockholm`s cultural scholarship 2021, Sweden
- awarded Ulla Froberg-Cramers scholarship, 2016, Konstfack, Sweden
- Studied at Curatorlab, Konstfack University, Stockholm, Sweden, 2015-2016
Current project
Curated several projects
- Stockholm Summer Residency. Artists: Dimitra Konstantinidi, Anna Hedstrom, Summer2026
- Vårsalongen 2026, Liljevalch Konsthall, Stockholm, 2026
- Art Salon, Bas Konsthall, Rotation, Barkarby, 2026
- Could be Past, Could be Present, Could be Future, AllArtNow, Stockholm, 2025
- As Soon as Possible, AllArtNow, Stockholm, 2025
- Creative home residency, (Šelda Puķīte, Indrek Grigor), Botkyrka Konsthall & AllArtNow, 2025
- Creative home residency, (Maria Lalou, Skafte Aymo-Boot), Botkyrka Konsthall & AllArtNow, 2025
- Co-curated Unhealed, Moderna Museum, Malmo, 2024
- "Obsessions" Gezira art center, Cairo, Egypt, 2024
- Fully Booked festival, Sousse, Tunisia, (Hotel Nour Justinia & Elbirou art gallery), 2024
- Harmony of Abstraction, AllArtNow, Stockholm, 2024
- A Narrow house can accommodate a thousand friends, Collega, Copenhagen, 2024
- Here, there and everywhere, Swab Art Fair, Barcelona, 2024
- Inside, I hide my happiness, Spinderhallerne, Vejle, Denmark, 2024
- Creative home residency, (Egle Oddo, Timo Tuhkanen, Aldo Tuhkanen), 2023
- You are not a guest, AllArtNow, Stockholm, 2023
- You are Not a guest, Elbirou, Sousse, Tunisia, 2023
- Shapes of Vitaility" Wonzimer, Los Angeles 2023
- Man made Land, The Mirror institution, Öland, 2023
- Into Uncertain Present, VIAF festival, Casablanca, 2023
- Into Uncertain Present, Videoformes festival, Clermont Ferrand, France 2023
- Into Uncertain Present, Magmart festival, Naples, Italy, 2023
- The Prairie Within, AllArtNowLab, Stockholm 2023
- No way to hide, Dar Ebd Eltif, Algiers, 2023
- Co-curated Unfinished Histories, Botkyrka Konsthall, Sweden, 2022
- Inside, I hide my Happiness, AllArtNowLab, 2022
- Entangled Ecologies, AllArtNowLab, 2022
- Art in Hjorthagen, six art venues in Hjorthagen`s area, 2022
- Disputed Frames, AllArtNowLab, 2022
- Co-curated In Search of Role Models, project between Cairo and Stockholm, 2022
- Meeting of Minds Platform, AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, 2022
Konsthall C, 2022
Konstframjandet, Karlstad, 2022
- Into Uncertain Present2, Virtual residency, Barcelona, Stockholm, Tunisia, 2022
Exhibition at: Jiser Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, Sweden
La Boite d`art contemporaine, Tunis, Tunisia
- co-curated Pilipalister Occupied AllArtNowLab, 2022
- Beyond Expectation, Vulkano, Goteborg, 2021
- Into Uncertain Present, virtual residency, Barcelona, Stockholm, Winnipeg 2021
Exhibition at: Hangar, Barcelona, Spain
AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, Sweden
Platform Center for photographic and digital arts, Winnipeg, Canada
Les Instants festival, Marseilles
- Beyond Beyond, Placa de Fort Bianca, Barcelona, Spain, 2021
- Out of Time and Space, Konstframjandet Varmland, 2021
- Co-curated Under One Sky, Comox Valley Art Gallery, British Columbia, Canada, 2021
- Meeting of Minds-Karlstad, Konstframjandet Varmland, 2021
Alma Löv museum, 2021
- Thoughts on a Vague Road, Havre Magasinet, Boden, 2021
Sormlands Museum, Nykoping, 2020/2019
Ebeling, Museum. Torshälla, 2019
World Culture Museum, Gothenburg, 2017/2018
- Still, Life Ahead, AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, Sweden, 2020
- AllArtNowLab hosts Flat Octobus, AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, 2020
- Through Distant Air, virtual residency + Exhibition, AllArtNow Lab, Stockholm, Sweden, 2020
- After Jerusalem, Johan Widen and Ylva Gislen, AllArtNowLab, 2020
- Nostalgia, Sormlands Museum, Nykoping, 2020
- Mentor for Jiser residency in Barcelona/Tunisia/Algeria, 2019
- Meeting of Minds, AllArtNow Lab, Stockholm, 2019
- The City Shines Every Day With New Stories, Wip:sthlm, Stockholm, 2019
- Something Can happen Beyond Expectation, Centraljukhuset, Karlstad, Sweden, 2019
Swab Art Fair, Barcelona, Spain, 2017
Rostrum Gallery, Malmo, Sweden, 2017
- Waypoint Algeria AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, 2019
- Itineraries to the Future, Botkyrka Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden, 2019
- The signal is intermittent, Gallery KC, Gothenburg, 2019
- The Curator`s Flavour, Elham Khattab, AllArtNowLab, Stockholm, 2019
- Art in The Summer, Wip:sthlm and Konstframjandet, Stockholm, 2018.
- Museum of Preserving City, Pori Art Museum, Pori, Finland, 2017
Botkyrka Kunsthall, Fittja, Sweden, 2016
- Mat and Konst festival, Botkryka festival, Fittja, 2017
- AllArtNow in residence Botkyrka, programming for a year in Botkyrka residence, Fittja, Sweden, 2017
- Co-curated the New Biennial of Botkyrka "Transitions" Stockholm, Sweden, 2016
- Nohome as a Pattern of Life, Gnesta Art Lab, Gnesta, Sweden, 2016
Nassjo Kunsthall, Nassjo, Sweden, 2016
- Maps to Collect Cities, Jonkoping Lans Museum, 2016
- From the Diary of a Roamer, Bornholms Konstmuseum, Bornholms, Denmark, 2016
Jonkopings Lans Museum, Jonkoping, Sweden, 2014
- Co-curated Make a Change, Kultur Centrum, Ronneby, 2016
- I will Never Get Used to Wait, Skanes Konstforening, Malmo, 2017
Hinterland Gallerie, Vienna, 2015
Hangmen Kunsthall, Stockholm, 2015
TYS Udstillingsstedet, Copenhagen, 2015
- Post-Thousand and one Nights, Malongen, Stockholm, 2015
- City in Transformation, video art program screened in Kunsthochschule Halle, Germany, 2016/ Videoformes festival, Clermont Ferrand, France, 2015/ Motorenhalle, riesa efau, Kultur Forum Dresden, Germany, 2015/ Magmart Festival, Naples, Italy, 2015/Les Instants Festival, Marseille, France, 2015, AIVA festival, Finspang, Sweden 2014
- At the Plague, Supermarket Art Fair, Stockholm, 2015
- How Are You Going? Are You Okay?, Gotham Arts Studios, Western Australia, 2014
- I`d Rather Prefer Not To Speak About Politics Tonight, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, 2014
- East West Banana Split, Visual discourse between East and West, AllArtNow, Syria, 2012
- Mosaic, visual project about diversity, ethnicity & coexistence in the Syrian society, AllArtNow, Syria, 2012
- Zawer Zerkli, in Maktab;Creative Zone, Syria, 2012
- Samir Safadi, in Maktab; Creative Zone, Syria, 2012
- Nawar Haidar, in Maktab;Creative Zone, Syria, 2012
- Mahmoud Dayoub, in Maktab;Creative Zone, Syria, 2012
- Jwan Khalaf, in Maktab;Creative Zone, Syria, 2012
- Studio1, informal school for local emerging artists, Syria, 2011
- Maha Shahin, Mustafa Ali Gallery, Syria, 2011
- Living Spaces, The 2nd International festival for Contemporary Art (showed events in 5 public spaces in Damascus for 7 days and one public space in Aleppo, and curated show in different countries during the year in Italy, Germany, Greek, France and Canada), 2010
- Behind Words, video art project with 10 emerging artists about relations between Man & Woman in Syrian society, (the project took part in more than 15 art events in Syria and abroad) produced, 2010
- Once Upon a Time in Arab Countries, Arab Short Festival, Goethe Institute, Cairo, Egypt, 2010
- In Silence, installation project for 7 emerging Syrian artists, AllArtNow, Syria, 2010
- For Your Eye, Multi-Media project, AllArtNow, Syria, 2010
- Fashion Diary, the participation of Syrian pavilion in the 1st biennial of Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2009
- Trace, Interactive and performance project, AllArtNow, Damascus, 2009
- Magnetism, Installation project, AllArtNow, Damascus, 2009
- 1st International festival for video art, Syria, 2009
- Iman Hasbani, French Cultural Centre, Syria, 2009
- Muhammad Al`s solo show, French Cultural Centre, Syria, 2009
- co-curated Out of Circle, Cultural palace, Damascus, 2008
- co-curated here I Stand, AllArtNow, Syria, 2008
- Ousama Diab – the Window, in collaboration with Qattan foundation, Mustafa Ali Gallery, Syria, 2007
- Miniature, Jabri House Gallery, Syria, 2007
- Three Emerging Syrian Artists, Ahmad Shawki Museum, Cairo, 2006
- Cross Generations, honouring exhibition for Syrian modern Artists, Taksim Gallery, Istanbul, 2006
- Co-curated Osmanian Monuments in Damascus, photograph exhibition, Istanbul Municipality, Turkey, 2006
- Co-curated From Damascus, photograph exhibition in the public space, Istanbul, Turkey, 2006
- Tendencies, Jabri House Gallery, Damascus, 2006
Curator and art director for Extension Art Space from 2022 to dates
- Alannah Robins, BEHOLD, 2026
- Johan Widen, book release, Ljusets Plats, 2026
- Pia Stjärnvind, Light, Nocturnal, 2025
- Tilda Johansson, Topophilia, 2025
- Mafune Gonjo, Mend of Absence, 2025
- Thomas Hansson, Friends & Family, 2025
- Salome Kappelin, Stockholm Summer Studio, 2025 (3 months residency for graduation student)
- Mouna Jemal Siala, On the Daily Road, 2025
- Muhammad Ali, Black & White, 2025
- Helene Karlsson, Hair, Memories, Hair, 2024
- Anx Kupiainen, Between n & o, 2024
- Natasha Dhanberg, Growing Pains, 2024
- Reyhaneh Mirjahani, to navigate the conditional, I must pause, 2024
- Felice Hapetzeder, I still remember your voice, 2023
- Selim Ben Cheikh, Horizontal, Vertical, Horizontal, 2023
- Tom Brennan, Then as Now, 2023
- Zahra Moein, residency and performance, Notes on Vulnerability and Braveness, 2023
- Anna Kinbom, What I was Wishing For, 2023
- Khaled Hafez - Illustrated History of the Mundane: Military Industrial Complex, 2023
- Open Studio, Juanma González, 2023
- Joakim Forsgren presents Urban Forsgren, 2022
Curating a program in AllArtNowLab for guest curator
- Rootless Ground, Forgetting Flows, curated by Juanma González, 2025
- Between the Waves, curated by Camilla Larsson,
- From Dusk till dust, curated by Sebastien Rosen, 2023
- Conversations on Attachment, Curated by Sookyoung Huh, 2022
- The Story of Indigenousness and the Ownership of History, curated by Khaled Ramadan, 2022
- Life isn`t a bed of Neuroses, Curated by Jonatan Habib Engqvist, 2022
- The Echoes of Eco, curated by Janove Ekstedt, 2022
- To inherit a Story, curated by Eva Lotta Holm Flach, 2021
- Memory of Things, curated by Renee Padt, 2021
- Close Encounters of the Fictive Kind, curated by Ashik Zaman and Koshik Zaman (C-print), 2021
- From Magmart Festival, curated by Enrico Tomaselli, 2021
- Beyond Expectation, Juxtaopse Art Fair, Aarhus, Denmark, 2021
- Video Art Day at AllArtNowLab, curated by Gabriel V. Soucheyre, VIDEOFORMES Festival, 2021
- Death, Life is stalking you, curated by Marc Mercier (Les Instants festival), 2021
- Hidden Messages, curated by Rainer Junghanns, 2021
- Troubled Home, curated by Maryam Omrani, 2021
- Tenderness of the Unknown, curated by Sona Stepanyan, 2021
- Catch a Fire, curated by Mia Zeek, 2021
- A Glad of One`s Own, Curated by Jonatan Habib Engqvist, 2020
Organized
- Several “artist in residence” in cooperation with different partners, 2006 to dates
Co-organized Artist Council, Konstframjandet, Stockholm, 2016-2017
- Co-organized New Arrival residency WIP, Stockholm, 2017
- Several artist talks for international artists in AllArtNow/Damascus from 2008 to 2012
- Exchange residency program between artists from UK & Syria, 2009 to 2010
- Training the trainers in Medial and Political Education for Youth (with Organizations from Finland, Germany and Jordan) Youth4Media institute/Munster/Germany, June2009
- “Flicker” video art project in collaboration with British council, Damascus, 2009
- Training about Sexual Education by using arts (Graffiti & Media workshops) with LastPlak/Netherlands, Damascus, 2008
Organized the Syrian participation in:
- “9th International miniature art biennial" Canada, 2008, 1st award for painting, Iman Hasbani, Syria
- "Artist2006" the 16th Istanbul International Art Fair, Istanbul, 2006
- "Artist2005", the 15th Istanbul International Art Fair, Istanbul, 2005
- "8th International miniature art biennial" Canada, 2006
Curator in residency at:
- Gwangju art Museum, June to September, 2026
- Culture Moves Europe, Elbirou Art Gallery, Sousse, Tunisia, 2024
- The Mirror Institution, Öland, Sweden, 2023
- Box 24 Residency, Algeria, 2022
- Jiser Residency, Barcelona, 2021
- Frame, Helsinki, visitor curator, 2021
- Gnesta art lab, Gnesta, Sweden, Sept to Oct/2016
- MAWA organization, (visiting curator) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Jun/2016
- Botkyrka Residence, Fittja, Sweden, March to Aug/2016
- Malongen, the Nordic Guest Studio, Stockholm, Sept/2015
- The Austrian Federal ministry of education the arts and culture, in cooperation with Kulturkontakt, Vienna, Jan/Feb 2014
- Centre of contemporary art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Jul/2013
- Iaspis (visiting curator) Stockholm, Malmo, Gothenburg, Oct 2011
- The Danish Arts Agency (visiting curator) Copenhagen, Roskilde, Sept 2011
- Stroom Den Haag (visiting curator) Jun 2011
She gave Talks:
- Videoformes festival, France Clermont Ferrand, 2023
- “Contemporary art in Syria” Mediterranean Museum, 2018
- “Allartnow as a Nomadic Space” Artlab Gnesta, Gnesta, Sweden, 2017
MAWA, Winnipeg, Canada, 2016
- “Women artists from Syria” Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Manitoba, Canada, 2016
- "Art space in Displacement" Kultur Centrum, Ronneby, 2016
- "Panel discussion about art practices in the conflict countries" Hangmen Project, Stockholm, 2015
- "Discussion between Maria Lantz and Abir Boukhari about art and society in Syria, Malongen, 2015
- "The contemporary art practices in Syria" The Royal institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden, 2014
- "Archiving the Public, Reading the Walls" Depot Kunst Und Diskussion, Vienna, Austria, 2014
- "Art Practices in Syria; Individuality, Creativity and Instability" Academy of Fine arts, Vienna, Austria, 2014
- "Contemporary Art Practices in Syria: Yesterday and Today" IASPIS (The Swedish Arts Grants Committee), Stockholm, Sweden, 2014
- " Spot in the Art Practices in Syria" Jonkoping Lans Museum, Sweden, 2014
- "The Hub of Contemporary arts in Syria" Supermarket art fair, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden, 2014
- "Archiving the Public, Reading the Walls" Depot Kunst Und Diskussion, Vienna, Austria, 2014
- "Art Practices in Syria; Individuality, Creativity and Instability" Academy of Fine arts, Vienna, Austria, 2014
- "Isolation, Breath to Die", Centre for contemporary art Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Poland, 2013
- “Studio1-In Need project”, Thread Gallery, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 2012
- “Women`s in Action”, Erbil, Kurdistan, 2011
- “Stroom Invest Conference”, Stroom Den Haag, Hague, Netherlands, 2011
- “AllArtNow” March Meeting, Sharjah Foundation, Sharjah, UAE, 2010
- “Café Mediterranean” SICA, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2010
- “AllArtNow space” (Informal talk to Tate curators), Tate Modern, London, UK, 2009
- “Syrian Knowledge”, Deflina Foundation, London, UK, 2009
She attended the following courses and internships
- Training about "Audience Development for Art Institutions" Museums Akademie, Vienna/Graz, 2014
- Course about conflict resolution, reconciliation and tolerance through art, Washington DC/Austin/Santa Fe/NYC, 2012 (the USA Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Curatorial internship at Hamburger Bahnhof museum, Oct-Nov/2012
- Cultural management workshop with Goethe institute, 2012
- Curatorial Internship at Tate Britain, Aug/2009 to January/2010
- Course in “Cultural Value” Academia Vitae/Deventer, Netherlands, July/2009
- Cultural management workshop “Melopee5” France, Nov 2008
- International young creative entrepreneur program, British council, UK, Oct08,
- Curatorial workshop Townhouse Gallery, May/2007
- Cultural management workshop, Amman, Nov/2007
- Training about project management in development society (Training in 4 phases) UNDP, Syria, 2008/2009
- Short Courses in business administration and management at Damascus Commercial Chamber, 2003/2004
- Achieved French Literature faculty at Damascus University, Syria, 1999
- Participate in several programs for Euro-Med:
Relaunch Euro-Med Youth Platform, Malta, 2008,
Dialogue & Cultural diversity, Amman, 2008
Shorouk training about youth Exchange, Rome, 2008
Intercultural dialogue program, Damascus, 2008
Euro-Med Youth Platform, Alexandria, Dec07
