Sharjah Art Foundation Collection Debuts in Asia at Aranya Art Center Guangzhou
The Aranya Art Center in Guangzhou hosted the exhibition 'In Absence and in Presence,' which concluded on 6 August. This event marked the most extensive international showcase of the Sharjah Art Foundation's collection in Asia. Spanning three galleries, it displayed over 70 pieces from 28 artists, emphasizing modern and contemporary Arab art. Notable works included Iman Issa's 'Heritage Studies' (2015), tapestries by Etel Adnan (2015), the film 'ISMYRNE' (2016) by Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Akram Zaatari's 'The Landing' (2019), Mona Hatoum's 'Projection (Velvet)' (2013), Hassan Sharif's 'Desert' series (1985), and Zineb Sedira's 'Sunken Stories' (2018). The exhibition delved into themes of memory, homeland, and history.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'In Absence and in Presence' at Aranya Art Center Guangzhou ended 6 August.
- Largest international presentation of Sharjah Art Foundation's collection in Asia.
- Over 70 artworks by 28 artists across three galleries.
- Featured works by Iman Issa, Etel Adnan, Joana Hadjithomas & Khalil Joreige, Akram Zaatari, Mona Hatoum, Hassan Sharif, Zineb Sedira, Jumana Manna, Simone Fattal, Anuar Khalifi, Ahmad Morsi.
- Etel Adnan's tapestries depict Northern Californian landscape.
- Akram Zaatari's film uses abandoned housing in Sharjah as sonic instruments.
- Zineb Sedira's 'Sunken Stories' references migration across Arabian Sea.
- Photography section included Iraqi and Sudanese photographers.
- Exhibition explored themes of memory, homeland, and history.
Entities
Artists
- Iman Issa
- Etel Adnan
- Joana Hadjithomas
- Khalil Joreige
- Akram Zaatari
- Mona Hatoum
- Hassan Sharif
- Zineb Sedira
- Jumana Manna
- Simone Fattal
- Anuar Khalifi
- Ahmad Morsi
- Rasheed Araeen
- Helen Khal
- Samia Halaby
- May Alqaydi
- Hoor Al Qasimi
- Damien Zhang
- Baya
- Farideh Lashai
- Kamala Ibrahim Ishaq
- Tarek Al-Ghoussein
- Aref El Rayess
- Ahmed Morsi
Institutions
- Sharjah Art Foundation
- Aranya Art Center Guangzhou
- Canvas
- Aranya Art Center
Locations
- Guangzhou
- China
- Sharjah
- United Arab Emirates
- Smyrna
- Izmir
- Türkiye
- Northern California
- United States
- West Asia
- South Asia
- Africa
- East Asia