SAF (Sharjah Art Foundation) presents In the eyes of our present, we hear Palestine, a group show which is part of the organisation’s continuous support for this country. The exhibition narrates diverse stories of the Palestinian people and celebrates the rich identity and heritage of Palestine, invoking a spirit of solidarity. On view at the Old Al Dhaid Clinic and Arts Palace (Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Palace) in Al Dhaid, it will be open to the public until the 14th of April, 2024.
Old Al Dhaid Clinic, Sharjah Art Foundation, Sharjah, 2024. Photo: Ashik Zaman.
The show features 60+ works (paintings, sculptures, installations, and videos) by artists whose practice involves informing, advocating, and educating about the current political situation and issues in Palestine. Spanning from the 1950s to the present, the displayed art pieces offer a glimpse into the challenges and hopes of the Palestinian community. All exhibits are from the outstanding Sharjah Art Foundation Collection, which includes more than 1,000 artworks spanning various art movements from the 1920s.
The participating artists (24 in total) are those from Palestine and its neighbouring countries. The list includes such names as Basel Abbas (b. 1983, Nicosia, Cyprus) and Ruanne Abou-Rahme (b. 1983, Boston, USA), an artist duo based between New York and Palestine; Tarek Al-Ghoussein (b. 1962, Kuwait — 2022); Khalil Rabah (b.1961, Palestine); Hazem Harb (b. 1980, Gaza); Mona Hatoum (b. 1952, Beirut, Lebanon); Dr Najat Makki (b. 1956, Dubai); Shadi Habib Allah (b. 1977, Jerusalem); and Mona Saudi (b. 1945, Amman, Jordan — 2022), to mention a few.
Sharjah Art Foundation Collection.
In the exhibition, for example, Shadi Habib Allah displays his video installation 30KG Shine (2017) paying tribute to a 1930s urban legend about a ghost that haunted the Old City of Jerusalem. The artwork explores different states of existence (object, body, and spirit) and how they exchange roles and share enmeshed forms of agency. In the exhibition space, pieces of furniture and a dimly lit chandelier evoke objects in transience or at rest. Mona Saudi is represented by her marble sculpture Mother and Child (1981) embodying the image of Mother Nature and life, one of the key themes the artist delved into in her work.
Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation.
To get more information about In the eyes of our present, we hear Palestine, please visit the official web page of the exhibition.
You may also be interested in attending Material Power: Palestinian Embroidery at Tabari Artspace, which also includes artworks by Mona Hatoum and Khalil Rabah.
