This weekend saw the opening of the 12th edition of Sharjah Biennial. As well as the preview in Thursday’s edition of The National, here is part of an exclusive interview that Sheikha Hoor Al Qassimi, the president of the biennial and the Sharjah Art Foundation gave to me on its opening.
Q: For it’s 12th edition, the Sharjah Biennial seems to be addressing the role of contemporary art at its very core - the intangibility of the present, the freedom of the mind and the ability to express the inexpressible in a piece of art. Would you agree with this interpretation?
A: For this Biennial curator Eungie Joo has brought together, in Sharjah, an extraordinary and diverse group of artists from different generations whose works address various issues including labour, sustainability, what has come before and the possibilities for the future.
Using a range of venues including the SAF art spaces, heritage buildings, courtyards and our new spaces across the emirate, artists have transformed these spaces in ways that are magical, thought provoking and sometimes playful.
Q: How would you define SB12?
A: One of the very distinctive characteristics of SB12 is the emphasis on conversations – literally between the artists and the curator, figuratively between the artists and Sharjah as a place and also between the artists themselves.
Many of the artists came to Sharjah for March Meeting 2014 and since that time, have travelled back and spent time here to develop and realise their projects. We have been fortunate to have so many artists interested in thinking about Sharjah as a place and engaging with the people who live here.
There are fewer artists this year than in the past, but artists have been given more time and space so there is a large number of site specific works.
We are also using a selection of new venues, two of these – the Flying Saucer building in Sharjah city and the Kalba Ice Factory are permanent SAF spaces, but we are also using warehouses in the Sharjah port as temporary venues.
Q: In general, the SB is now a major part of the global art calendar, why do you think the international world flock to Sharjah for the event?
A: After 24 years, the Sharjah Biennial has a solid reputation that is built on years of research and work by hundreds of artists and curators. So it should not really be surprising that art professionals believe that visiting the Sharjah Biennial could be important for their work.
While there has been much made in the press about the new ambitious projects that are being planned and realised around the Gulf, the Biennial has been taking place now for more than two decades. Our audiences, both local and international, grow each year.
For many years now, the Biennial has been a place where international museum professionals have come to learn about artists who they don’t know or to see major new commissions by artists they know or to research and learn more about the region. Because of our emphasis on new productions and commissions, the Sharjah Biennial is known as a place where artists can experiment – which often results in works from part Biennials that have been acquired by major international institutions such as MoMA and TATE, and of course, for the SAF Collection.
Q: How do you see the role of SB in the context of the local art scene?
A: One of the important characteristics of any biennial is the way in which it can be a site of experimentation for artists and of discovery for audiences. Sharjah Biennial has always placed a strong emphasis on offering artists the opportunity to imagine and create new projects and this has had some remarkable results that our audiences have been able to enjoy.
Just looking at a couple of projects from the last few years – Blessings upon the Land of my Love a commission for SB10 by Imran Qureshi or Wael Shawky’s dictums from SB11– these works had a very strong impact on our audiences here, but also provoked international interest in the artists’ works. The use of public space is also an important way to engage our local community. The SB11 project by SUPERFLEX – The Bank – became a major gathering place for the neighbourhood.
This year will be no exception—the works of the artists in SB12 animate the city and offer the UAE audience an exceptional opportunity to see and learn about the art on view. And it is free for everyone.
In the past the Biennial was on for two months, but this year it will be open for three months due to increased interest and audiences. Over the course of these months we will be offering education programmes and tours for all ages, as well as events such as talks, workshops and film screenings in our outdoor cinema. We also organise tours for different school and community groups.
* Sharjah Biennial 12 runs until June 5 at various locations across Sharjah. For more info visit www.sharjahart.org