Khalil Rabah, Dead Sea, 2017. Sharjah Art Foundation Collection. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic
Sharjah Art Foundation presents I Once Had a Day, an exhibition bringing together works by seven artists who have devoted their practice to staying close to the lived realities of Palestine. Drawn from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, these works speak to histories of displacement and loss as well as to enduring acts of care, remembrance and cultural survival.
On view until 14 December 2025 in the gallery of Al-Razi Auditorium, Medical Campus at University of Sharjah, the exhibition features artworks by Samia Halaby, Hazem Harb, Mona Hatoum, Khalil Rabah, Mona Saudi, Abdul Hay Mossallam Zarara and Kamal Youssef.
I Once Had a Day unfolds as a conversation across generations, invoking the land not as a geographic entity, but as a witness. Spanning multiple decades and mediums, these practices emerge from and reflect on the conditions of diaspora, speaking from within occupied time.
The exhibition’s title borrows a line from Mahmoud Darwish’s poem This Is Her Image, and This Is the Lover’s Suicide, which appears within Mona Saudi’s work. In this context, ‘I once had a day’ reads as the voice of one who has withstood a loss yet carries it forward and returns to it again and again.
Presented in conjunction with the inaugural Sharjah Human Development Forum, titled Humanity & Heritage in Palestine, I Once Had a Day is organised by Sharjah Art Foundation, NAMA Women Advancement Establishment and The Big Heart Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Sharjah.
The exhibition is curated by Reem Sawan, Curatorial Assistant at Sharjah Art Foundation.
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.
Established in 2009 to expand programmes beyond the Sharjah Biennial, which launched in 1993, the Foundation is a critical resource for artists and cultural organisations in the Gulf and a conduit for local, regional and international developments in contemporary art. The Foundation’s deep commitment to developing and sustaining the cultural life and heritage of Sharjah is reflected through year-round exhibitions, performances, screenings and educational programmes in the city of Sharjah and across the Emirate, often hosted in historic buildings that have been repurposed as cultural and community centres. A growing collection reflects the Foundation’s support of contemporary artists in the realisation of new work and its recognition of the contributions made by pioneering modern artists from the region and around the world.
Sharjah Art Foundation is a legally independent public body established by Emiri Decree and supported by government funding, grants from national and international nonprofits and cultural organisations, corporate sponsors and individual patrons. Hoor Al Qasimi serves as President and Director. All exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Founded in 2015 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, NAMA is committed to advancing gender equity on a global scale.
We are dedicated to mobilizing resources and creating the enabling environments necessary for women’s advancement. Our core philosophy underscores that empowering women is essential for the sustainable growth of communities and nations. By working alongside grassroots initiatives and international organizations, we cultivate an ecosystem where women’s full potential is realized.
Originally set up as a fundraising campaign in 2013, The Big Heart Foundation was developed into a full-fledged foundation, in 2015, proceeded by various initiatives and campaigns launched by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of the Sharjah Family and Community Council.
The Foundation’s mandate is to protect and empower vulnerable children and their families in vulnerable situations across the world. Since then, TBHF has provided health, education and emergency aid services – among others – to almost 6 million people in need more than 35 countries.
The University of Sharjah (UOS) is a private non-profit national university established in 1997 founded by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qassimi. Member of the Federal Supreme Council of United Arab Emirates In terms of number of degrees, number of colleges, and comprehensiveness of academic programs, it is one of the largest universities in the UAE with more than 17,000 students from all over the world.
UOS provides first-class education to the highest international standards with programs accredited both in the UAE and internationally, by organizations based in locations including the US, Europe and the UK. It is a truly international university: teaching staff, as well as students, come from around the world including the UAE, Arab countries, the US, UK, and Europe.
Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.
Alyazeyah Al Marri
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113
Khalil Rabah, Dead Sea, 2017. Sharjah Art Foundation Collection. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic