Image:
Edward Said's calling meme
Stuart Hall, Representation and the Media (Video, 1997)
Plato's allegory of the cave by Jan Saenredam, according to Cornelis van Haarlem, 1604, Albertina, Vienna
Standing labubu
Image Courtesy of the Artist
With Andrew Riad
Ages 18+
In English
In this two-day course, examine how notions of materialistic desire and symbolic representation intertwine in popular culture and critical theory.
On Day 1, study a collective map of contemporary ‘objects of desire’ (Labubu figurines, ‘delulu’ memes and more), and consider how brands and platforms turn materialistic desire into consumption. Through prompts and short group conversations, identify the symbols that populate social media feeds and daily life, and trace how they acquire meaning and value.
On Day 2, read excerpts from foundational texts such as Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ in The Republic, Edward Said’s Orientalism and Stuart Hall’s Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices to establish a shared framework for analysing, and perhaps circumventing, conventional understandings of the role of materialism in daily life. Discuss how language, history and power shape what we desire and how we see.
You will leave this course with a brief annotated lexicon of personal symbols, experimental prose pieces and questions for further research. All texts and materials will be provided by Sharjah Art Foundation.
The Foundation is committed to making its programmes inclusive and accessible. You can arrange for any support needed through the registration form.
For more information, email learning@sharjahart.org or call 06 544 4113
About the instructor:
Andrew Riad (b. 2000, Cairo) is a Coptic Nubian Egyptian artist and poet who works at the intersection of poetry, research, performance and play. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Creative Writing and Legal Studies from New York University Abu Dhabi (2022) and an MFA in Writing from Pratt Institute, New York (2025). He is an alumnus of the Salama Bint Hamdan Al Nahyan Emerging Artists Fellowship and SAMT Alternative School. His work has been published by Mizna, Makhzin and The Poetry Project and shown at 421 Arts Campus, Alserkal Avenue and elsewhere.
Image:
Edward Said's calling meme
Stuart Hall, Representation and the Media (Video, 1997)
Plato's allegory of the cave by Jan Saenredam, according to Cornelis van Haarlem, 1604, Albertina, Vienna
Standing labubu
Image Courtesy of the Artist