Sharjah Art Foundation
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, we create opportunities for artists and artistic production through our core initiatives that include the Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications and a growing collection. Our 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.
Education Programme
Children’s Education Programme SAF Summer School Summer Starts Here! July 13 – 24, 2014 Express your creativity this summer at SAF. Sharjah Art Foundation announces the start of our second annual SAF Summer School. Our programme offers a blend of learning experiences featuring workshops, art activities and a children’s library that the whole family can enjoy. SAF Summer School is open Sunday to Thursday from 11:00 am – 2:00pm. For a complete schedule of activities please visit sharjahart.org. SAF Young Artist Programme: Spring/Summer 2014 March 29 – September 6, 2014 Sharjah Art Foundation offers a series of seminars, intensive workshops, and discussions with art professionals aimed at young artists who wish to deepen their practice and develop their professional and practical skills.
Open Call for submissions: Vantage Point Sharjah 2
Sharjah Art Foundation welcomes proposals from individuals of all nationalities residing in the UAE for the second edition of photographic exhibition entitled Vantage Point Sharjah 2.This exhibition will feature photographs centred on the theme of portraits and people. Scheduled for August 30 to November 30, 2014, Vantage Point Sharjah 2 will take place in building GH at the SAF Art Spaces in Al Mureijah. The deadline for application is July 31, 2014 at 11:00 pm, and the exhibited photographs will be selected from applications to the Open Call. Photographs should be submitted with the application form, along with a short story or a description of the photo and the location where the photograph was taken.
Photo by Yazan Khalili
Selection of works from SAF Collection on display in SAF Art Spaces
Exhibition
Summer 2014 Building F and Building J SAF Art Spaces
Doug Henders, Heaven’s Gate, 2009, oil on canvas, 150x210 cm
#sharjah1000
Exhibition
21 June - 10 August, 2014 Building H SAF Art Spaces
Photo by: @b1ckey (Bickey Basnet)
SAF Film Club
SAF Film Club is a new initiative designed for film enthusiasts and dedicated to film and filmmaking. Free and open to the public, SAF Film Club offers screenings, workshops, discussions and opportunities to get involved and contribute your ideas.
SAF Film Club is part of the Sharjah Art Foundation’s ongoing Film Programme that includes regularly scheduled film screenings in the Mirage City Cinema, the UAE’s only dedicated outdoor cinema space.
Open Call: Studio space for UAE based artists
SAF invites UAE based artists to apply for studio space at the Collections Building in Sharjah Arts Area. Through an Open Call, three studio spaces will be granted to artists by selection, and seven other spaces will be available for rent.
SAF Director Hoor Al-Qasimi
Appointed Curator for the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates at the 2015 International Art Exhibition – La Venice Biennale di Venezia
The appointment of Sheikha Hoor as curator was announced by the Salama bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Foundation, commissioners for the National Pavilion United Arab Emirates la Biennale di Venezia.
The National Pavilion of the UAE, Arsenale Sale d'Armi, Venice (currently under construction) Credit: Davide Ferrante
March Meeting 2014: Correspondents Blog Posts
A vital part of March Meeting 2014 (MM 2014) was an experiment with Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual open call for presenters that supported the presence of cultural producers at MM 2014 in the roles of respondent, participant and witness. The correspondents reflect upon their experience in Sharjah in many forms including writing, photography, video and digital media. Look for weekly correspondent posts on SAF’s blog through early June.
Rawdat al-Balabel
In collaboration with AMAR Foundation (Arab Music Archiving & Research), Sharjah Art Foundation presents Rawdat al-Balabel: a series of podcasts about classical Arabic music that consists of 104 episodes posted online over the course of 52 weeks. The sixty ninth podcast of Rawdat al-Balabel Dawr “Ibrahim Al-Qabbani” is now available.
Image courtesy of AMAR Foundation