Overview
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, May 23, 2012 – Sharjah Art Foundation has announced the dates of the next Sharjah Biennial: March 13 – May 13, 2013. The announcement was made during a panel discussion Sharjah Biennial 11: A New Cultural Cartography organised by Asia Art Archive as an official satellite programme during the Hong Kong International Art Fair on May 17, 2012 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Speaking at this event were Sharjah Art Foundation President Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi and Sharjah Biennial 11 Curator Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. The discussion was moderated and contextualised by Professor Oscar Ho, Director of the MA Programme in Cultural Management, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi discussed the history of the Sharjah Biennial and the current programmes of the Sharjah Art Foundation. Yuko Hasegawa spoke about her curatorial concept for Sharjah Biennial 11 and how artists and architects will engage with the traditional architecture of the Sharjah Heritage Area in a range of commissioned works. In her talk Hasegawa proposed a new orientation for cultural relationships between the Far East, the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.
Sharjah Art Foundation President Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi stated, 'We are pleased to have partnered with Asia Art Archive on this presentation of our upcoming plans for Sharjah Biennial 11. Our visit to Hong Kong has been very interesting and has offered us an opportunity to establish new relationships with artists and institutions in China as well as in other parts of this region.'
About Sharjah Biennial 11
Sharjah Biennial 11 will open on March 13 and continue through May 13, 2013. For Sharjah Biennial 11, Hasegawa proposes a selection of artworks that reassess the Westerncentrism of knowledge in modern times. Hasegawa offers the metaphor of the courtyard in Islamic architecture; she sees Sharjah as a place of hospitality and discipline, and proposes a biennial that embraces these qualities, while also exploring the complexity and diversity of cultures, societies, and politics.
Sharjah Art Foundation President Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi stated, 'We are pleased to be working with Yuko Hasegawa as Curator for Sharjah Biennial 11. Hasegawa has had a distinguished career characterised by major curatorial projects, notably in Eastern Asia and Latin America. Her proposal for the 2013 Biennial reflects the long tradition of Sharjah as a place where the gathering of diverse communities encourages an exchange of ideas and knowledge.'
Hasegawa added, 'Sharjah is historic and present, social, natural, and political. It is a place that encourages thinking and negotiating with others. My natural response to its dynamism is to produce a Biennial which asks questions through art, and creates a dialogue that liberates us from Eurocentrism, Globalism, and other relevant–isms.'
Hoor Al Qasimi
President of the Sharjah Art Foundation, Hoor Al-Qasimi is a practicing artist who received her BFA from the Slade School of Fine Art, London (2002), a Diploma in Painting from the Royal Academy of Arts (2005) and an MA in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art, London (2008). She is on the Board of Directors for MoMA PS1 and was on the curatorial selection committee for the 2012 Berlin Biennial.
Yuko Hasegawa
Yuko Hasegawa is Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT) and Professor of curatorial and art theory at Tama Art University in Tokyo. She was a Chief Curator and Founding Artistic Director (1999−2006) of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Her responsibilities included the architectural design, collections and programmes.
Oscar Ho Hing-kay
Oscar Ho Hing-kay was formerly the Exhibition Director of Hong Kong Arts Centre and founding Director of the MOCA Shanghai. He was advisor to Documenta 12 and member of the International Committee of Documenta 13. Currently he is the Director of the M.A. Programme in Cultural Management at the Chinese University.
About Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF)
Sharjah Art Foundation brings a broad range of contemporary art and cultural programmes to the communities of Sharjah, the UAE and the region. Since 2009 SAF has built on the history of cultural collaboration and exchange that began with the first Sharjah Biennial in 1993. Working with local and international partners, we create opportunities for artists and artistic production through our core initiatives that include the Sharjah Biennial, the annual March Meeting, residencies, production grants, commissions, exhibitions, research, publications and a growing collection. Our education and public programmes focus on building recognition of the central role art can play in the life of a community by promoting public learning and a participatory approach to art. Sharjah Art Foundation is funded by the Department of Culture and Information, Government of Sharjah.
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