Sharjah Art Foundation presents Vantage Point 13, the latest edition of its open-call photography exhibition, bringing together newly commissioned works by six artists. On view from 8 August to 29 November 2026 in Gallery 2, Photography Gallery, Al Manakh, Sharjah, the exhibition examines the evolving possibilities of documentary photography.

Developed through sustained curatorial dialogue with the participating artists, Vantage Point 13 unfolds through a series of distinct yet interconnected approaches. Working across diverse geographies and contexts, the six artists—Luisa Dörr, Latifa AlBokhari, Sathish Kumar, Adam Rouhana, Guanyu Xu and Maheder Haileselassie—engage photography not simply as a tool for recording reality but as a medium through which histories and systems of representation are negotiated.

Through portraiture and observational strategies, Dörr, AlBokhari and Kumar probe the nuances of lived experience, tracing intimate connections between land and belonging. Rooted in long-term collaborations with individuals, families and communities, their practices foreground the conditions under which photographs are produced, considering how trust and shared experience shape representation.

Rouhana, Guanyu Xu and Haileselassie explore themes of absence and rupture. Their works engage photography as a means of grappling with questions of visibility and with histories interrupted by conflict or erasure. Rather than presenting the photograph as a fixed document, they approach the image as a site where meaning remains contingent, negotiated and, at times, deliberately withheld.

Across the exhibition, the artists expand conventional understandings of documentary photography through experimentation with scale and materiality. Large-format prints, constructed installations and spatial interventions challenge established modes of viewing, proposing alternative ways of telling stories that blur the boundaries between fact and construction, record and interpretation.

The works position documentary photography as a field in transformation—one defined not by static truths, but by continual discernment. 

Vantage Point 13 is curated by Sara Al Mheiri, Assistant Curator, and Osemudiamen Ekore, Curatorial Assistant, Sharjah Art Foundation.

About 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.

About Sharjah

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.

Media Contact

Alyazeyah Al Marri
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971 (0)6 5444113