Sponsored: So much to see…

Sharjah, the cultural hub of the UAE is the city to visit if you want to soak in some art. Located in Sharjah’s historical areas and across various art spaces, visitors have plenty to do at Sharjah Art Foundation including seeing art exhibitions, catching a film screening, attending workshops and more.

Here are all the exhibitions currently on view. 

Khalil Rabah: What is not

Khalil Rabah sharjah art foundation

Where: Al Mureijah Art Spaces

Created from the 1990s to the present time, artist Khalil Rabah proposes speculation on how cultural institutions, curatorial practice, museological discourse and critical knowledge operate under long-standing states of emergency and displacement.

Lawrence Abu Hamdan: The Sonic Image

sharjah art foundation

Where: Al Mureijah Art Spaces

This is the largest solo exhibition of Turner Prize-winning artist Lawrence Abu Hamdan. It features a new commission titled Air Conditioning, an award-winning installation titled Earshot (2016), and more.

CAMP: Passages through Passages

Where: Bait Al Serkal, Arts Square

This exhibition brings together key works by CAMP – A Mumbai based artist studio. Expect to see works encompassing videos and audio works, archives, interventions and collections.

Gerald Annan-Forson: Revolution and Image-making in Postcolonial Ghana (1979–1985)

Where: Al Hamriyah Studios, Al Hamriyah

Ghanaian photographer Gerald Annan-Forson traces the political and social transformation of Ghana during the last decades of the twentieth century in this exhibition organised in collaboration with The Africa Institute.

Aref El Rayess

Where: Sharjah Art Museum, Arts Square

This exhibition showcases the prolific Lebanese artist Aref El Rayess (1928–2005) and spans five decades. It includes painting, drawing, sculpture and collage works that reveal the rich and complex artistic practices of the important Arab modernist.

The exhibition mentioned above are free to attend but book your visiting time here. 

Permanent and long-term installations

Rain Room Sharjah

Sharjah rain room

Where: Al Majarrah

Rain Room Sharjah is Sharjah Art Foundation’s unique, immersive experience that invites you to walk through a downpour of continuous rain without getting wet. It was created by London-based artist collective Random International and is the first permanent installation of its kind.

Book here. 

Mimesis: African Soldier (2018)

Where: Al Hamriyah Studios

A historical montage film by pioneering artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah recalls the lives of millions of African women and men whose acts of valour and sacrifice during World War I are obscured in the official narrative.

Khayyam Fountain (2018)

Where: Al Hamriyah Studios

This installation is the last creation of Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. It is on long term loan to the Foundation and the work interleaves triangles, pentagons and hexagons to form a rotating tower refracting light throughout the day.

Workshops

There are several workshops where children and adults can get creative. You’ll have a talented artist to help you out and who knows, you may discover a talent you never knew you had. Pick your bookshop and book here.

Catch up with friends

For a unique setting to meet up with loved ones, you can explore the iconic Flying Saucer and enjoys sips of coffee, or you can stop by Fen Café & Restaurant to enjoy seasonal dishes and speciality beverages.

For more information, call (0)6 568 5050 or visit sharjahart.org

Images: Sharjah Art Foundation