Samia Halaby's Sharjah Retrospective Misses Political Focus
Samia Halaby's first Middle Eastern retrospective 'Lasting Impressions' at Sharjah Art Museum (SAM) highlights her abstract and documentary works, but critics note a lack of political focus. The exhibition includes her Kafr Qassem massacre series (1999-2012), depicting the 1956 killings of Palestinian villagers by Israeli soldiers. Halaby argues abstraction is inherently political, rooted in revolutionary movements like Soviet Constructivism. The show features kinetic paintings, olive tree drawings, and works like 'Homage to Mona Saudi' (1997). A video interview discusses her activism during the First Intifada. The exhibition runs until 7 January 2024.
Key facts
- Samia Halaby's retrospective 'Lasting Impressions' is at Sharjah Art Museum.
- The exhibition includes her Kafr Qassem massacre series from 1999 to 2012.
- The Kafr Qassem massacre occurred on 29 October 1956.
- Halaby created a website for the massacre's 50th anniversary in 2006 and a book in 2016.
- She argues abstraction is political, born from revolutionary movements.
- Her kinetic paintings include 'Land' (1988) and works dedicated to Olga Rozanova.
- Recent works include 'Jerusalem, My Home' (2014) and 'Six Golden Heroes' (2022).
- The exhibition runs until 7 January 2024.
Entities
Artists
- Samia Halaby
- Shaker Abdallah Easa
- Aishy Amer
- Mona Saudi
- Olga Rozanova
Institutions
- Sharjah Art Museum
- Canvas
Locations
- Sharjah
- United Arab Emirates
- Kafr Qassem
- Palestine
- Israel
- New York
- Russia
- Jerusalem