Sharjah 24: The Search for an Open Enigma presents work by Antonio Dias (1944–2018), an artist who relentlessly transgressed material and conceptual boundaries, tackling complex sociopolitical issues across diverse mediums. The exhibition title derives from artist-critic Hélio Oiticica’s 1969 analysis of the open-ended nature of Dias’ iconography.
On view from 28 September to 8 December 2024 at Al Hamriyah Studios, the exhibition is abuzz with potent imagery, bold colours and cryptic figuration. Dias’ mixed-media works of the early 1960s critique the violent military dictatorship in his home country, Brazil. These years saw the artist twist the visual language of Brazilian popular culture and charge it with commentary on violence and censorship.
Arriving in Paris in 1966 with a suitcase and some drawings, Dias spent the next decades of his life in self-exile in Europe, first in Milan and later in Cologne. Exposed to Italy’s Arte Povera movement, he found himself drawn towards the ‘non-image’ and conceptualism. His works from the late 1960s to mid-1970s—which constitute the core of this exhibition—include monochromatic paintings riddled with text; geometric installations, systematically ordered to critique art and society; and performative experiments on Super 8 film.
From the 1980s onwards, Dias produced abstract paintings rendered in metallic pigments, vibrant hues and dynamic formations while continuing until his passing to develop his mixed-media installations, which he infused with a poignant sense of humour.
The first solo exhibition of Dias’ art in the region, The Search for an Open Enigma, pays homage to the versatile and subversive nature of his oeuvre through a selection of works that follow his artistic trajectory from the 1960s until the late 1990s.
Antonio Dias: The Search for an Open Enigma is curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, with Reem Sawan, Curatorial Assistant at the Foundation.
About Antonio Dias
From his first solo show in Rio de Janeiro in 1962 until his death in 2018, Antonio Dias insistently challenged the material and conceptual boundaries of painting, video, audio, sculpture, performance, installation, objects and LP. Noted for its intellectual rigour and poetic intonations, his practice analysed power dynamics and linguistic complexities while critiquing mass media.
Growing up during the military dictatorship in Brazil, Dias started out as a draftsman and graphic designer before his move to Paris in 1966, which marked the beginning of his self-exile. From the mid-1970s, he lived between Milan and Rio de Janeiro and rose to prominence on the international art scene.
Despite the artist’s refusal to be associated with any specific movement, his artistic legacy is entangled with the history of prominent movements, including neo-concrete, abstraction, tropicália and arte povera. Dias' work has been shown in major solo and group exhibitions, including Venice Biennale (1976, 1999); and documenta, Kassel (1972). His works have been collected by Tate Modern and Guggenheim Museum, among others.
About Sharjah Art Foundation
Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) 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. 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 nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. 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 has been designated the UNESCO ‘World Book Capital’ for the year 2019.
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