Sharjah Art Foundation’s Annual Art Book Fair FOCAL POINT Opens this Thursday

FOCAL POINT 2021 Exhibitors

The art book fair brings together more than 120 publishers, magazines, artists, editors, authors and makers from the UAE and MEASA region and includes over 500 titles sourced from a variety of cultural partners and collaborators, including Singapore Art Book Fair and BAZAR Art Book Fair; independent, critical and arts-focused publishers from Lebanon, South Africa, Morocco, Pakistan and Palestine as well as a selection of new magazines, zines, art and photography books, prints and other ephemera from the MEASA region.

The fair also brings together the publishing work of art and cultural organisations from the United Arab Emirates, including a selection of catalogues, artist books and other published matter produced locally and by artists from around the world who are represented by UAE galleries. FOCAL POINT will also exhibit a range of young and emerging UAE creatives, illustrators, zine makers, cartoonists and product designers.

2021 Exhibitors include:

Afterall, Al Mutwasit, Al Nahda Al Arabiya, Al Qasimi publications, Alia & Maitha Damithan, Alia Al Hammadi, Alireza Mohammadi, Ameerah Mousa, Arman Golestaneh, Art Africa magazine, Art Jameel, Asai, Atelier HOKO, Ayesha Bin Haider, Barakunan, Barjeel Art Foundation, Barthelemy Toguo, Beirut Concept Store, Black Dog Press, Blaft Publications, Bloomsbury Publishing, Book Depository, Cat Hu, Catsdraws, Chimurenga, Combined Academic Publishers, Contemporary Image Collective, Daniel Kotter, Dar Al Saqi, Dar Al Tawheed, Darat Al Funun, Department of Culture Sharjah, Dima Adra, Dima Bittard, Editions Snoubar Bayrout, Emirates Fine Art Society, Errant Journal, Esraa Artist, Fa9la.ae, Fai Ahmed, Famous Ilavbare, Fana' Collective, Fanzeen comics, Farside Collective, Fehras Publishing Practices, Flee Project, Galerie Clementine, Gallery Isabelle van den Eynde, GINGKO, Golara Jahanian, Green Art Gallery, Gulf Photo, Plus, Hadeel Ahmed, Hedieh Ahmadi, Hessa Al Zarooni, In Plain Words, Ismail Al Rifai, IRTHI, Jabal Amman Publishers, Juliana Tan, Kalimat foundation, Kalimat Group, Kaph Books, Kawkab ElRasameen, Kayfa Ta, Khatt Books, Khawla AlMarzooqi, KULTE, L’Art Rue, La Decouverte, Lai Yu Tong, Lawrie Shabibi, Locale, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Maamoul Press, Maha Al Mazrouei, Mahmoud Safwat, Makan Magazine, Maraya Art Centre – 1971 Design Space, Mariaam's store, Mediabus, MISS READ: The Berlin Art Book Fair, Mirzam, Mizna, Mophradat, Mouza Al Hamrani, Nang Magazine, Nope Fun, Nora Zeid, NYU Abu Dhabi, Paper monument, Penpowder, Plant Press, Qamise, Rafiqi, Rasamett, Rimal Books, Sadjad Ghoroqi, Salon für Kunstbuch, Samuel Nja Kwa, Sana Haroon, Saqi, Sara AlDhubaib, Sara AlKhayyal, Shabahang Tayyari, Shadah.ae, Shadda.ae, Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Sharjah Museums, Shiva Sherveh, Swalif Collective, Tara Books, Tashkeel, Temporary Press, The Africa Institute, The Funambulist, The Institute of Critical Zoologists, The Marg Foundation, The Palestinian Museum, The Third Line, Think Tangier, TokTok Magazine, UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth, Valiz, Warehouse421, Yaarbal Books, YaHala Studio Archive, Zaghlool Socks, Zaman Books, ZAT magazine and 3losh Store.

FOCAL POINT Workshops

Children and Family Workshops (all ages)

9 December

Paper Repurposing (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
Learn how to repurpose old and unusable books through upcycling techniques and sketching, experimenting with different materials and basics of furniture accessory design.

Make Your Own Zine (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
Choose a subject of interest, and create your own zine using photographs, clipart, drawings, collages and more.

Painting On Leaves (6:30 pm–8:30 pm):
Create artwork from existing materials by colouring on paper leaves and tying them together with thread.

10 December

Introduction to Book Binding (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
After a brief introduction to different methods of bookbinding and their histories, you will learn the skills and techniques to bind a book.

From Threads to Bookmarks (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
Create handmade bookmarks using weaving techniques and different materials, including golden thread and wool.

Sketching session: Bait Obaid Al Shamsi (7:00 pm–9:00 pm):
Develop your observation and sketching skills during a guided tour around Bait Obaid Al Shamsi.

Youth and Adult Workshops (ages 15+)

9 December

Introduction to Book Binding (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
After a brief introduction to different methods of bookbinding and their histories, you will learn the skills and techniques to bind a book using different types of paper, thread and glue.

10 December

Sketch Artist Meetup (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, join this meetup to share, critique and discover each other’s work and build a network of peers in a relaxed environment.

11 December

Make Your Own Zine (4:30 pm–6:30 pm):
Choose a subject of interest, and create your own zine using photographs, clipart, drawings, collages and more.

FOCAL POINT Performances

9 December

Sways N Edges
Biggs on Keyboard, Biro on Drums and Percussion and Hanafi on Guitar: three friends who join together to sway and excite audiences through familiar tunes and rhythms in the realms of Blues, RnB, Soul, Reggae, Hip-hop and Funk.

10 December

Adiga
Formed in 2016, Dubai-based Sudanese group Adiga brings traditional rustic Sudanese sounds to the present. Blending the old and new, the trio adds a modern experimental twist to the classic Sudanese tone.

11 December

Gypsy Swing Duo
The Gypsy Swing Project is a Dubai-based duo featuring French Gypsy guitar maestro Alexandre Valls and Spanish/Jazz guitarist Niki Mukhi. Their high intensity live performances feature a number French jazz and Spanish-inspired arrangements with uplifting rhythms and blazing solos.

FOCAL POINT Talks Programme

On 9 December 2021, the FOCAL POINT 2021 Talks Programme will bring together publishers, distributors, art professionals, knowledge producers, graphic designers, writers, journalists and editors from the UAE at Sharjah Art Foundation’s The Flying Saucer.

Sessions will include presentations of Abdul Hay Mosallam Zarara’s recently released monograph by artist and editor Ala Younis; a session by SAF’s Director of Collections and Senior Curator Omar Kholeif about Creating Dangerously: A Postscript to Sharjah Biennial 14; a conversation about The Africa Institute’s publications with Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation and President of The Africa Institute; Sataan Al Hassan, Head of Research and Programming at The Africa Institute; Salah M. Hassan, Director of The Africa Institute; Edoardo Ghizzoni, International Publications Manager, Skira; Sherine Morsi, Custodian and Administrator, Ahmed Morsi Estate; and Selene Wendt, Art Historian, Curator and Writer.

For more information about FOCAL POINT Talks Programme, click here.

Book releases at FOCAL POINT

A number of major publications and artist monographs will launch during FOCAL POINT 2021. These include:

Ahmed Morsi: A Dialogic Imagination, published by Sharjah Art Foundation, The Africa Institute and Skira, a significant monograph discussing the places, people, texts, ideas and materials that have shaped the unique practice of the New York–based Egyptian artist Ahmed Morsi.

Creating Dangerously: A Postscript to Sharjah Biennial 14, a collection of essays, poems and thoughts representing an extension of the SB14 platform, Making New Time, edited by Omar Kholeif, Director of Collections and Senior Curator, Sharjah Art Foundation.

The second edition of Beirut Bereft: The Architecture of the Forsaken and Map of the Derelict, a collaborative publication and exhibition project by Rasha Salti and Ziad Antar, which was originally commissioned, published and produced for Sharjah Biennial 9 (2009).

Corniche 3, a SAF Community publication project which brings together artists specialised in comics and illustrations based in the UAE and broader region.

The Africa Institute will launch Selene Wendt’s latest book Beyond the Door of No Return: Confronting Hidden Colonial Histories through Contemporary Art which explores the legacies of colonialism in contemporary art as well as the memoirs of Ibrahim El-Salahi, At Home in the World, tracing his life and career from Khartoum to Doha to São Paulo to New York.

Ma3azef, in collaboration with SHFRA studios and Barzakh, will release The Moment of Tarab , which takes an intimate look into the lives of singing legends such as Fayrouz and Abu Bakr Salem, and Omissions in the Official Narrative, an anthology of the Golden Age of Arabic music. These two publications are produced as a result of the 2019 FOCAL POINT Publishing Grant, awarded to Ma3azef.

FOCAL POINT Publishing Grant

The 2021 edition of the FOCAL POINT Publishing Grant extends the Foundation’s mission to provide opportunities that contribute to interdisciplinary publishing practices in the region. The grant is conceived as a means to support projects that contribute to the production of original ideas and critical thinking, and that offer experimental and innovative approaches to publishing in art and culture.

This year the Foundation will award a total of USD 30,000 to multiple grantees and provide publishing and distribution support in three categories: long-form essays, reproduction of small publications and experimental art publications.

The 2021 grant awardees will be announced on 9 December 2021 at the Talks Programme held in the Foundation’s Flying Saucer.

About FOCAL POINT and SAF Publishing

Launched in 2018, FOCAL POINT is an annual art book fair held in Sharjah by the Foundation to support, catalyse and promote interdisciplinary publishing practices as part of the arts ecology. Since its establishment in 2009, Sharjah Art Foundation has published a variety of books on modern and contemporary art, including artist books, exhibition catalogues and critical essays. The Foundation supports the research-based efforts of visiting artists, curators and scholars year-round and publishes catalogues for biennials and curated exhibitions available to the public.

About Sharjah Art Foundation

Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. Under the leadership of founder Hoor Al Qasimi, a curator and artist, the Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions; and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.

Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world. Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international non-profits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.

About Sharjah

Sharjah is the third-largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. In 1998, it was named UNESCO's 'Arab Capital of Culture' and was designated the UNESCO ‘World Book Capital’ for the year 2019.

Media Contact

Alyazeyah Al Marri, alyazeyah@sharjahart.org, +971(0)65444113