Overview
Annual March Meeting to be complemented by an exciting programme of Parallel Exhibitions and Events from March 16 – March 19, 2012. Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE), December 11, 2011 – Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) announces the Open Call for proposals to present as speakers at the 5th annual March Meeting that kicks off on March 16th with an exciting program of parallel exhibitions and events. Individuals and institutions, especially those who can address this year’s theme in relation to the UAE are invited to apply for this opportunity to participate in the region’s most established professional gathering of art practitioners.
Sharjah Art Foundation’s highly anticipated March Meeting is an annual three-day meeting of artists, art professionals and institutions concerned with the production and distribution of art in and related to the MENASA. Now in its 5th year, March Meeting 2012: Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies aims to thematically explore the present realties, future outlook and dynamics between artists and institutions in the context of artistic commissions and residencies. Through a series of lectures, talks, panels and roundtable discussions, applicants will explore the topic through questions including: what are the challenges and opportunities for artists and institutions when collaborating on artistic commissions? How do international residencies serve as a vehicle for social change and cultural diplomacy? What is the impact of residencies and artistic commissions on local communities? How effective are residencies in terms of creating environments for artists to take risks? What are the economic systems of support for residencies and commissions?
Hoor Al Qasimi, President of Sharjah Art Foundation commented, 'Over the years, the March Meeting has proven a critically important forum for art practitioners to consider the issues, challenges and opportunities of working with or in the region. For 2012, we are particularly excited to be exploring the topic of commissions and residencies as these activities are increasingly central to our work with artists and audiences both in the UAE and internationally.'
Sharjah Art Foundation invites proposals for talks and presentations based on an individual or institutional response to the theme. We are looking forward to receiving proposals from a broad range of UAE and regional art practitioners and hope to encourage the active participation of our local community. We are particularly interested in hearing about work in or related to the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) region.
Applications to present at the 5th March Meeting are now available online at www.sharjahart.org and are due January 5, 2012.
The Sharjah Art Foundation will offer successful applicants roundtrip flights and accommodation to attend the March Meeting.
The March Meeting is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended to reserve your seat and ensure announcements and invitations to parallel events. Please register by March 1, 2012 at marchmeeting@sharjahart.org
March Meeting Parallel Events
Also reflecting the March Meeting themes, Sharjah Art Foundation will host a series of exhibitions and events showcasing work that has been created through commissions and residencies. Nomadic sound artist Tarek Atouiʼs Visiting Tarab will have its Middle East premiere on March 19, 2012. Co-commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation and Performa, New York, Visiting Tarab was first premiered in November 2011 as part of Performa the internationally acclaimed New York visual art performance biennial.
Other highlights include the opening of Coastline an exhibition of new work by Ziad Antar who was an Artist in Residence at Sharjah Art Foundation in 2010. His current series of photographs document the coast of the UAE, where the sea becomes a symbol of the past, present and future of the rapidly changing Emirate states.
Basma Al Sharif, another Sharjah Art Foundation Artist in Residence (2011), will be exhibiting a new work commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation. Farther Than the Eye Can See is a video installation that engages the viewer in a visceral experience of time through sound, image, and space.
SAF is also pleased to present the Middle East film premiere of London-based Artangelʼs commission 1395 Days Without Red, by Šejla Kamerić and Anri Sala, created in collaboration with Ari Benjamin Meyers. Artangel is a London-based non-profit internationally noted for producing major artist’s commissions.
About Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF)
Sharjah Art Foundation brings a broad range of contemporary art and cultural programmes to the communities of Sharjah, the UAE and the region. Since 2009, SAF has built on the history of cultural collaboration and exchange that began with the first Sharjah Biennial in 1993.
Working with local and international partners, SAF creates opportunities for artists and artistic production through our core initiatives that include the Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications, and a growing collection. SAF’s education and public programs focus on building recognition of the central role art can play in the life of a community by promoting public learning and a participatory approach to art.
Sharjah Art Foundation is funded by the Department of Culture and Information, Government of Sharjah.
To register for the March Meeting, please email marchmeeting@sharjahart.org
For more information on the Sharjah Art Foundation and the March Meeting please visit www.sharjahart.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Sharjah Art Foundation
Alyazeyah Al-Reyaysa
Tel: +971-6-544-4113, ext. 25
E: alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
FITZ & CO, New York
Meg Blackburn
Tel: +1-212-627-1455, ext. 225
E: meg@fitzandco.com
t +971 6 568 5800 | f +971 6 568 5800 | PO Box 19989 Sharjah, UAE
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