Ahmad Darkhabani

Ahmad Darkhabani is an architect, independent curator, researcher, and writer originally from Damascus, Syria. He is currently based in Graz, Austria, where he teaches as a Lecturer at the Institute for Contemporary Art (IZK) within the Faculty of Architecture at Graz University of Technology. His academic research investigates the intersection of contemporary art and architecture, focusing on their role in constructing reality and the social

sphere. In his curatorial practice, Darkhabani collaborates with artists to examine the fragility of reality. His work focuses on the cultural constructs that uphold the governance structures established by the political machine. From this standpoint, his practice challenges our understanding of the world and how it has been shaped by oppressive policies and imaginary binaries– such as East and West, Local and International, Center and Periphery. Darkhabani co-curated several exhibitions at the Grazer Kunstverein, including The Actress by Aimée Zito Lema and Becket MWN, The Elder Poem by Elisabeth von Samsonow, and Cameo by Bianca Baldi. His essay On the Necessity of Art: A Call for Artistic Revival in Post-Assad Syria was published on the Al-Jumhuriya platform.