The two exhibitions, organised by the Sharjah Art Foundation as part of the Autumn 2024 programme, present diverse works by the two international artists, expressing themselves through various arts, such as storytelling, visual and audio performances, along with writing accompanying texts, innovating theories and reshaping concepts, in addition to multiple artistic styles and a broad vision, highlighting societal issues, which enhances the foundation’s serious endeavour to present distinguished artistic experiences and open the doors of dialogue with all cultural and civilisational identities in the world.
Upon his arrival, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah toured the exhibition of artist Bouchra Khalili, which was curated by Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation, with Amal Al Ali and Mira Madhu, assistant curators at the foundation.
His Highness listened to a detailed explanation from the artist about the artworks on display, their different connotations, and the concepts and meanings they symbolise, reflecting her rich experience in her journey with arts, culture and knowledge.
His Highness stopped at a number of artworks in the exhibition, including films, where His Highness watched some of them, and learned about their components and what they seek to convey as a simplified artistic idea to the public, and what they reflect in terms of an artistic vision that inspired the artist and motivated her to accomplish her works.
The artist’s works are dominated by the remarkable diversity in the integration of various visual and audio materials in her various projects in which she tried to express her ideas derived from ancient historical experiences, and to point out the importance of solidarity between societies across borders and the needs of people in them, far from discrimination that is harmful to the human condition between people, which must be united and cohesive, not the opposite.
The exhibition of the artist Bouchra Khalili, of Moroccan-French origin, is one of the most distinguished art exhibitions in the world, shedding light on the investigation and meticulous research that the artist followed and excavation of the absent history through presenting a selection of prominent projects that she developed over the past fifteen years.
The artist’s works go beyond traditional classifications such as fiction or documentary, to cleverly combine diverse visual and audio materials, allowing her to formulate hypotheses about new and innovative forms of belonging. In a number of her artistic projects, the artist focuses on highlighting the issues of immigrants and the obliteration of their existence or identity.
The two key words in the title of Khalili’s exhibition, “Circles” and “Constellations,” express the potential communities that appear in the artist’s work. “Circles,” singular “circle,” represents a gathering or type of meeting typical of the artist’s native Morocco, a purely social gathering in which stories are told, where people from different generations come together to exchange memories and political ideas. This pattern, circles, has been present in the artist’s work since her early days, but it is particularly prominent in her recent projects.
The word “constellations” is rooted in the idea of a transnational solidarity network, and the exhibition reveals deep connections between migrant groups and anti-colonial movements across seas and continents. Through these diverse works, Khalili’s current exhibition highlights what the artist calls “radical citizenship,” an idea that offers an unconditional concept of community that transcends traditional boundaries of identity.
Khalili’s work is characterised by its great diversity, including film, photography, printmaking, installations, publishing and textiles. Her collaboration with members of communities suffering from inhumane practices is a constant and vital feature of her work, allowing individuals who participate in her work to present their personal and collective experiences, contributing with the artist to develop new ways of understanding history. To this end, Khalili uses montage as an effective tool for expression and reflection, which enhances her narrative style in transforming the audience into active participants.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah viewed the exhibition of Maori artist Emily Karaka, which expresses the uniqueness of arts and their societal issues in the areas of her origins, which go back to the “Iwi” tribes present in the lands of Tāmaki Makaurau, the Auckland Isthmus, Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Kahu and Ngāti Hine in New Zealand.
The exhibition is curated by Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Megan Tamati-
Quennell, one of the curators of Sharjah Biennial 16, with Amal Al Khaja and Abdullah Al Janahi, assistant curators at the Sharjah Art Foundation.
His Highness viewed many of the artworks included in the exhibition, such as paintings made of various materials. The artist is known for expressing a specific point of view on the political issues of the region from which she hails and the colonial policies therein. Her works are characterised by striking colours, expressive intensity, writing in different languages and stating various important dates.
His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah listened to the artist Karaka’s detailed explanations during the tour, learning about her diverse works, which reflect her ideas and commitment as a well-known intellectual towards her community.
The works show an amazing balance between the precision of the drawings she presents as an artist and the values she carries, through which she sends clear messages about what she believes in regarding issues of social justice, the environment, and a strong sense of belonging to roots and family and pride in that.
His Highness also listened to Maori chants from ancient heritage arts by the artist and an accompanying group of performers.
The exhibition highlights the work of Karaka as an influential political artist in her country and the world, combining her artistic vision with her deep values as a standard-bearer of cultural knowledge and rich tribal history.
The exhibition also brings together selections from public and private collections covering five decades of her career, in addition to special and new commissions from the Sharjah Art Foundation.
An abstract expressionist and exceptional colourist who sometimes creates assemblage art, Emily Karaka has worked hard to develop her knowledge and educate herself. She describes her paintings as “political landscapes” or “self-portraits that are deeply immersed in the landscape.”
The opening of the two exhibitions was attended by: Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation, Sheikha Nawar bint Ahmed Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Protocol Department, and a number of artists, intellectuals, officials and media professionals.
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