Sharjah Art Foundation’s Annual Photography Exhibition Vantage Point Sharjah is Back for 8th Edition

Overview

Vantage Point Sharjah is back this year for its eighth edition, continuing Sharjah Art Foundation's commitment to supporting the medium of photography. On view from 29 August through 28 November, Vantage Point Sharjah 8 (VPS8) presents the work of over 30 photographers from more than 20 countries, selected from an international open call. Through a variety of approaches including collage, analogue photography and digital manipulation, the selected images tell stories of personal experience and community life, and offer reflections on the human condition, captured landscapes and nature as well as imagined futuristic scenarios.

This annual exhibition offers the Foundation’s local, regional and international communities an opportunity to take part in what has become an important, core Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) initiative. The open call application process encourages submissions from both professional and amateur applicants, while supporting the development of new tools and techniques and the representation of a broad diversity of voices. This year’s edition attracted 290 applicants from more than 20 countries.

The photographers selected for VPS8 are: Elaheh Abdolahabadi, Katya Akuma, Raheed Allaf, Sundos Alsheebani, Armin Amirian, Gheed Ashoor, Marwan Bassiouni, Abdelhamid Belahmidi, Hasan Belal, Renata Siqueira Bueno, Hoor Abdullah Al Dukhan, Nadja Ellinger, Tara Fallaux, Tala Touckley Faried, Attila Fekete, Gianluigi Guercia, Kawayan de Guia, Akam Shex Hady, Khoula Hamad, Prapat Jiwarangsan, Amina Kadous, Henry Ace Knight, Srinivas Kuruganti, Spandita Malik, Maryam Namvar, Meena Nanji, Walid Nehme, Maryam Al Noaimi, Joseph Obanubi, Ramy Radwan, Prasad Sadanandan, Kristina Sergeeva, Arpita Shah, Abdo Shanan, Reema Shatat, Giulio Di Sturco, Miao Ting, Santiago Velez and Jack Yong.

This edition of the exhibition will be presented in the Foundation’s Al Hamriyah Studios for the first time. Inaugurated in 2017, the contemporary exhibition space was built on the site of a former souq situated on the coast at Al Hamriyah in Sharjah. A multi-purpose facility, Al Hamriyah Studios was used as an exhibition space for Sharjah Biennial 13 and has often hosted seasonal exhibitions, educational workshops and a film club.

The first Vantage Point Sharjah took place in 2013 and was conceived as an initiative to engage with the local community through a call for submissions open to UAE-based photographers. As its popularity has grown over the years, the geographic remit has expanded while exhibition themes have included ‘Self-Portraiture’, ‘Performance’ and ‘Architecture and Urban Landscape’. In an effort to further encourage the development of creativity in the field, since 2019 international applicants have been free to choose their own themes and artistic approach. The resulting exhibition offers Sharjah audiences an opportunity to discover the work of emerging photographers from the UAE and around the world.

To ensure the comfort and safety of our community and adhere to social distancing guidelines, visitors interested in viewing the exhibition should book a slot in advance on , or through our website. Enhanced sanitation and disinfection will take place between visits in line with recommendations from health authorities. The exhibition is free to attend and open to all, however booking in advance is highly encouraged. Read more about our new safety policies here.

To learn more, visit sharjahart.org.

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 and events are free and open

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.