March 17–19, 2012
Open Call
Deadline January 5, 2012
Sharjah Art Foundation has announced the open call for presentation proposals based on the theme of March Meeting 2012: Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies. Individuals and institutions are invited to submit proposals that respond to this theme in the context of work in, or related to, the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia). Those interested in submitting an application may visit the Sharjah Art Foundation’s web site at: www.sharjahart.org/march-meeting.
Established in 2008, the March Meeting provides a critical platform for the exchange of ideas and the investigation of collaborative possibilities to regional and international art and cultural practitioners.
Sharjah Art Foundation President Hoor Al-Qasimi explains, “Over the years, the March Meeting has proven a critically important forum for art practitioners to consider the issues, challenges, and opportunities of working with, or in, the region. For 2012, we are particularly excited to be exploring the topic of commissions and residencies as these activities are increasingly central to our work with artists and audiences both in the UAE and internationally.”
In addition to the conference, Sharjah Art Foundation will present a series of exhibitions and events showcasing work created through commissions and residencies. These include:
March 16: Opening of the exhibition Ziad Antar: Coastline, presenting photographs of the United Arab Emirates coastline created during Antar’s 2011 residency at Sharjah Art Foundation. The exhibition remains on view through May 16, 2012.
March 17, 18, and 24: The Middle East film premiere of Artangel’s commission 1395 Days Without Red, by Sejla Kameric and Anri Sala, in collaboration with Ari Benjamin Meyers.
March 18: Opening of Basma Al Sharif’s new installation project Farther than the Eye Can See, developed during her Sharjah Art Foundation residency in 2010. It remains on view through May 18, 2012.
March 19: The Sharjah premiere of Tarek Atoui’s Visiting Tarab, a performance co-commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation and New York’s Performa, the visual arts performance biennial.
About Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF):
Sharjah Art Foundation brings a broad range of contemporary art and cultural programmes to the communities of Sharjah, the UAE, and the region. Since 2009, SAF has built on the history of cultural collaboration and exchange that began with the first Sharjah Biennial in 1993.
Working with local and international partners, SAF creates opportunities for artists and artistic production through core initiatives that include the Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications, and a growing collection. SAF’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.
Sharjah Art Foundation is funded by the Department of Culture and Information, Government of Sharjah.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
FITZ & CO
Meg Blackburn
T: 212-627-1455, ext. 225
E: meg [at] fitzandco.com
Sharjah Art Foundation
Maitha Al Jassim
T: +971-6-544-4113, ext. 25
E: press [at] sharjahart.org
