Fall exhibitions

Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) presents a robust fall programme, which includes solo exhibitions by Arnulf Rainer, Kamal Youssef, Enrico David, Robert Breer, Yayoi Kusama, Kamala Ishaq and Amir Nour, as well as a significant historical survey of the modernist art movement in Sudan from the mid-20th century to the present, reflecting the foundation’s mission and breadth of curatorial programming. October also marks the launch of several elements central to Sharjah Biennial 13, Tamawuj (SB13), which will continue through the opening of the biennial in March 2017.

Sharjah Art Foundation’s engagement with Egypt’s art historical narrative continues with an exhibition titled, When Arts Become Liberty: The Egyptian Surrealists (1938–1965), co-organised with the Ministry of Culture in Egypt, and on view at Palace of Arts, Cairo, through October 28, 2016. SAF’s exploration of this important narrative within a local context publically launched in 2015, with an international conference, organised by Sharjah Art Foundation in collaboration with the Institute for Comparative Modernities at Cornell University and the Visual Cultures Program at the American University in Cairo, and continues with this historic exhibition of more than 150 works selected from important public and private collections both in Egypt and abroad.

Currently on view at Sharjah Art Foundation in Sharjah, UAE, Arnulf Rainer: Towards Overpaintings (through November 1, 2016) highlights early works by the self-taught Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer (b. 1929), whose career has been marked by an unrelenting search for new approaches to painting. The solo exhibition includes Rainer’s paintings from the 1950s and 1960s, a selection of the artist’s early sculptures and videos and never-before-seen archival documentation.

Organised in collaboration with Sharjah Museums Department and on view through November 17, 2016, Kamal Youssef: Egyptian Surrealism’s Time Capsule is a retrospective of the work of the Egyptian-American artist, which presents the distinctive style of painting and sculpture Kamal Youssef (b. 1923) developed over the course of his 70-year career.

Solo exhibitions of artists Robert Breer (USA, b. 1926), Enrico David (Italian, b. 1966) and Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929) on view through January 9, 2017 include:

Robert Breer: Time Flies presents a selection of work by Breer, one of the founders of the American avant-garde, whose career as an experimental filmmaker, painter and sculptor spanned more than 50 years. The solo exhibition will include a selection of the artist’s early paintings and animations, as a well as Breer’s later kinetic sculptures and large-scale works.

Enrico David: Fault Work presents sculptures, plaques and large-scale tapestries by the Italian-born, London–based artist. Both open-ended and psychologically charged, David’s artistic practice is often described as contemporary surrealism, explored through his own unique visual language of abstracted imagery and ambiguous form.

One of Japan’s most important living artists, Yayoi Kusama has forged a singular practice that spans over six decades and encompasses a variety of mediums from traditional Japanese painting and sculpture to performance, printmaking, photography and installation. Yayoi Kusama: Dot Obsessions features a comprehensive selection of Kusama’s early works from the 1950s as well as site-specific reproductions and interactive installations.

From November 12, 2016 to January 12, 2016, SAF will present three exhibitions focusing on art from Sudan.  A retrospective of the pioneering Sudanese artist Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq (b. 1939) will feature a large selection of the artist’s paintings, including early pieces, as well as new works commissioned by SAF. Amir Nour: A Retrospective (1965–present) Brevity is the Soul of Wit will present sculptures, photographs, drawings and new commissions, spanning the American-based Sudanese artist’s 50-year career and inspired by images of the domes, arches, calabashes and sand hills of Amir Nour’s (b. 1939) native Sudan. The two solo shows will run parallel to The Khartoum School: the Making of the Modern Art Movement in Sudan (1945–present), a major historical survey of the modernist art movement in Sudan from the mid-20th century to the present. The exhibition will feature photography, film, video, multimedia installation and performances, along with archival material that contextualises the breadth and depth of modernism in Sudan. These exhibitions have been co-curated by Hoor Al Qasimi, Director of the Sharjah Art Foundation and Dr. Salah M. Hassan, Goldwin Smith Professor and Director, Institute for Comparative Modernities, Cornell University.

In anticipation of the official opening of Sharjah Biennial 13, Tamawuj (SB13) in March, the SB13 School—a year-long education programme designed to engage with, and support, local infrastructures in the western, central and eastern regions of the Emirate of Sharjah—opened this month.  Simultaneously, one of SB13’s core components, chip-ship—a centralised digital storage space where nearly 30 researchers will upload their material for artists, and the general public, to access—has gone live. SB13 School and chip-ship are the first of several interrelated elements developed by SB13 curator Christine Tohme, each designed to explore the current state of infrastructure throughout the region, with particular focus on the elements of water, earth, crops and culinary.

About Sharjah Art Foundation
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, Sharjah Art Foundation creates opportunities for artists and artistic production through core initiatives that include Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications and a growing collection. Our education and public programmers 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. All our events are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit www.sharjahart.org.

Contacts:
Sharjah Art Foundation: Alyazeyah Al Reyaysa: T +971 6 544 4113 / alyazeyah [​at​] sharjahart.org
FITZ & CO: Katrina Weber: T +1 212 627 1653 / kweber [​at​] fitzandco.com