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Maider López
2007—2009
Installation view at Sharjah Arts Area
Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation
Photo by Alfredo Rubio
Originally developed as part of a Sharjah Residency project in 2007, this public art work was recreated for Sharjah Biennial 9 in 2009.
CAMP
2009—2013
Colour video projection with sound
80 minutes
Installation view
Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation
This film commissioned for Sharjah Biennial 11 draws from four years of dialogue between artist collaborative studio CAMP and sailors based on boats that dock in Sharjah. The film was screened in an area frequented by the sailors and other local tradesmen and families.
SUPERFLEX
2012
Public space, Bank Street
Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation
In collaboration with Schul Landscape Architects
Commissioned for Sharjah Biennial 12, this temporary public park was designed with input from local residents who were asked to propose urban furniture, playground toys or signage that evoked personal memories for them.
As part of Sharjah Biennial 12 Education Programme, student were taken for an exploratory tour around the biennial to view and discuss exhibited works.
Artwork:
Ryyane Tabet, Cyprus, 2015.
Students paint pots during a planting workshop in SAF’s Urban Garden.
Sharjah Art Foundation brings a broad range of contemporary art and cultural programmes to the communities of Sharjah, the UAE and the region.
Recognising the central and distinctive contribution that art makes to society, Sharjah Art Foundation cultivates a spirit of research, experimentation and excellence by offering support to artists and art practitioners, while acting as a catalyst for collaboration and exchange within the Middle East and beyond.
Sharjah Art Foundation core initiatives include the Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications and a growing collection. The Foundation's education and public programmes 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.
Inspired by the cross-fertilisation and rich cultural diversity of the Emirates, the Foundation provides both national and international leadership in the production and presentation of contemporary visual arts.
• Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors, and individual patrons. All events are free and open to the public.
Established in 2009, Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) builds on the history of cultural collaboration and exchange that began with the first Sharjah Biennial in 1993.
Originally modelled on a classic biennial format with artists chosen to officially represent each participating country, the Biennial provided a glimpse into regional and international artistic practice.
Since Sharjah Biennial 6 in 2003, the programme has been led by Sharjah Art Foundation President and Director Hoor Al Qasimi, a practicing artist who received a BFA from the Slade, London and an MA in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London. Sharjah Biennial is the UAE’s longest running contemporary art event.
In response to a growing interest in contemporary art, Sharjah Art Foundation was created in 2009 as an institution that would ensure continuity with the history of the Biennial while offering a year-round programme of exhibitions and events.
Sharjah Art Foundation Art Spaces were inaugurated with Sharjah Biennial 11, and are used for SAF programmes along with a range of venues that include converted traditional houses in the Arts and Heritage areas of Sharjah.
• For further information on SAF initiatives and programmes click here.