Sharjah Art Foundation


The Sharjah Art Foundation is a contemporary art and cultural foundation based in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, founded in 2009 by Hoor Al Qasimi, daughter of Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, a member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and current ruler of Sharjah, to support artists and artistic practice in the Sharjah communities, the UAE, and the region via different platforms that include Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, art residencies, production grants, commissions, art exhibitions, artistic research and publications. The foundation include exhibitions featuring the work of Arab and international artists, performances, music, film screenings, artist talks, and educational for a range or audience from children to adults. The Sharjah Art foundation strives to promote public learning and participating in art practices.

Sharjah Biennial

is an international art happening that takes place in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, once every two years. The first International Sharjah Biennial took place in 1993 under the organization of Sharjah Department of Culture and Information and later transferred to Sharjah Art Foundation, for management and organization since its creation in 2009.

March Meeting

is an annual gathering of international art practitioners and art institutions in the region. It is organized by Sharjah Art Foundation and was launched in 2008, to encourage regional art professionals to connect, partner and share ideas in the sphere of contemporary art.

Exhibition

List of notable exhibitions organized by Sharjah Art Foundation:
YearTitleCuratorArtists
2009Disorientation II: The Rise and Fall of Arab CitiesJack Persekian
2010A Retrospective: Tarek Al GhousseinJack PersekianTarek Al Ghoussein
2011DriftHoor Al QasimiBouchra Khalili,
Doug Henders,
Rika Noguchi.
2011This SituationTino Sehgal
2012What should I do to live in your life?Lee Kit, João Vasco Paiva
2012Museum of Optography, The Purple ChamberDerek Ogbourne
2012In Spite of it AllHoor Al QasimiRashid Masharawi, Marcel Odenbach, Melik Ohanian, Raeda Saadeh, Sharif Waked.
2012Just Knocked Out: in collaboration with MoMaPeter EleeyLara Favaretto
2013Chaos into Clarity: Re-Possessing a Funktioning UtopiaShannon Ayers HoldenXenobia Bailey, Hassan Hajjaj, Zak Ove.
2013I Look To You And I See NothingOlivier Varenne and Nicole DurlingRyoji Ikeda, Anish Kapoor, Terence Koh, Teresa Margolles, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Lawrence Weiner, Gino de Dominicis, Shezad Dawood and Sophie Calle.
2014/seconds.Peter LewisAbdullah Al Saadi, Shezad Dawood, Leo Fitzmaurice, Margaret Harrison, Taraneh Hemami, Mohammed Kazem, Peter Kennard, Hassan Sharif, Sergei Sviatchenko, Jalal Toufic.
2018Rain RoomHannes Koch, Florian Ortkrass