Sharjah Biennial returns on Thursday, showcasing more than 650 works of contemporary art across the emirate.
The event, which will be running until June 15, is being held under the title To Carry, a theme which reflects the memories and traditions we individually carry with us.
The works interpret the theme in several ways, touching on migrant experiences, sidelined histories or re-examining ancient customs in a new light.
Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, president and director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, the organising body behind the biennial, said the event is a celebration of diverse practices and cultures as much as it is a moment of international solidarity.
“The biennial had its first edition in April 1993, 32 years ago, making it the longest continuously running biennial in the region,” she said. The event, Sheikha Hoor added, has developed over the years, achieving “remarkable acclaim and an unassailable reputation, both regionally and internationally".
This year builds on that history, she said. “These 650 works offer us an evolving collection of narratives across time, place, ideas and cultures, elaborating on the biennial theme of what to carry and how to carry it,” she added.
Works by almost 200 artists are on show across 17 locations in Sharjah, extending beyond the city to sites in Al Hamriyah, Al Dhaid and Kalba.
The biennial has been curated by Alia Swastika, Amal Khalaf, Megan Tamati-Quennell, Natasha Ginwala and Zeynep Oz. The curators come from disparate practices and backgrounds. Their research ranges from the role of storytelling in collective learning and activism to explorations of societal and economic systems. As such, each has brought a distinct focus to the biennial and its theme. This diversity is reflected in the exhibited works.
“As we engage with the biennial, you'll sometimes find the projects of different curators converging within a single venue,” Sheikha Hoor said. “At other sites, the story of one curator unfolds across the entire space.”
Given the event’s theme, Sheikha Hoor said it was important to take a moment and recognise the tribulations of those in less fortunate places around the globe.
“Before I end my speech, I would like to just ask everyone to keep in mind the people of Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, the Congo, Armenia and all other parts of the world where people are less fortunate than ourselves,” she said.
“We have to be in solidarity. If there's anything we learnt from our fathers and grandfathers and mothers, it is that they had such immense solidarities and there is a beauty in coming together and being in solidarity with one another. I hope with us being in solidarity, we can pray and hope for a better future and for a free Palestine.”
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