The Time is Out of Joint exhibition attempts to traverse spatial and temporal limitations via the realm of artistic imagination, and creating through this concept, the freedom of charting universal ideas. Inspired by the philosopher Ibn Arabi’s concept of time as a fluid place and place as frozen time, exhibition examines three historically important art events inspired by social and political scenarios: the First Alexandria Biennial in 1955, the First Biennale of Arab Arts in Baghdad in 1974 and the China/Avant-Garde exhibition in Beijing in 1989. In addition it attempts to pre-enact a future event, the Equator Conference 2022 in Yogyakarta.

This publication also documents brief descriptions of the 21 participating artists and their artworks, and a programme of associated events including The Reading Room project, the Archive and Digitalisation Room, the School and Youth Education programmes and the Adult education programmes.