Curated by Hoor Al Qasimi
13 February - 14 May 2016
As presented at the National Pavilion of the UAE in the 56th edition of the Venice Biennale, 1980-Today: Exhibitions in the United Arab Emirates is now on view in Sharjah and looks at the history of exhibition making in the United Arab Emirates over the last 40 years. The emergence of art practices in the UAE is presented here through a selection of over 100 works by 15 Emirati artists.
The exhibition is built upon extensive research involving archives of newspaper articles, artists' writings, and catalogues, as well as interviews with artists and cultural practitioners. Reflecting personal and geopolitical trajectories, the research focused on the underexposed historical record and evolving practices of some of the UAE's most important modernist and contemporary artists.
