Overview
The sixth edition of Focal Point, Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual art book fair showcasing a selection of printed material by more than 100 participants, takes place from 24 to 26 November 2023 at Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, a heritage house in Sharjah’s historical district. Featuring artists’ presses, bookmakers, self-publishers and non-commercial cultural producers, this year’s edition encourages the community to engage with independent publishing and the central role of books as tools for social mobilisation and the development of a free and just world.
Focal Point will also feature workshops on reading, libraries and zine making as well as activities exploring resources on Palestine and the significance of global liberation struggles. Some of the highlights include the release of new books published by the Foundation, Risograph live print station in partnership with Fikra Design Studio and a selection of graphic novels and manga curated by the UAE book retailer Kinokuniya.
During the fair, the Foundation will announce the recipients of the 2023 Publishing Grant, together with the launch of winning publications and research projects from the previous year’s grant cycle. For this year’s grant, a total of 30,000 USD, including publishing and distribution support will be awarded to multiple grantees.
Inaugurated in 2018, Focal Point places a special focus on UAE-based publishers and functions as a critical space for knowledge sharing and community building.
The sixth edition of Focal Point consists of three main sections:
- International (works from art and independent publishers in the international art community)
- Edit (curated publications and special interest books not distributed by local retailers)
- Local (publications from within the UAE’s arts community)
Details about each section as well as more information about this edition’s programming and grants follow below:
Focal Point International Section
In the International Section, art and independent publishers from around the world showcase and distribute their books within the global publishing community. This year’s international exhibitors are:
89books (Palermo), Afrikaada (Paris/Dakar), Bad Student (Manila), Bao Books (Tunis), BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY (Bangkok), Binatang Press (Jakarta), Cairo Art Book Fair (Cairo), Cráter Invertido (Mexico City), ElHarf Publications (Amman), MASP - Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (São Paulo), Michalis Pichler (Berlin), Miss Read: The Berlin Art Book and Fair (Berlin), Mkuki Na Nyoti (Dar es Salaam), Nepal Picture Library (Kathmandu), Panther's Paw Publications (Nagpur), Primary Information (New York), Recreo: Valencia Art Book Fair (Valencia), Savvy Contemporary (Berlin), shashasha (Tokyo), SOCCOCHICO (London/Geneva), Suburbia Projects (Petaling Jaya), Tara Books (Chennai), Temporary Press (Singapore), Think Tanger (Tangier), Vasl Artists’ Association (Karachi), Waraq (Beirut), Zine Coop (Hong Kong)
Focal Point Edit Section
In the Edit Section, Focal Point presents a curated selection of art journals, magazines, comics and special interest books not distributed by local retailers and bookstores. Exhibitors include:
421 Arts Campus (Abu Dhabi), Afterall (London), Al Hayya Magazine (Beirut/Delaware), Artbook / D.A.P. / Distributed Art Publishers (New York), Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah), bin atiah studio (Riyadh), Black Dog Press (London), Blaft Publications (Chennai), Can Can Press (Mexico City), Carbon12 (Dubai), Diwan Egypt (Cairo), Emirates Fine Arts Society (Sharjah), Gulf Photo Plus (Dubai), Hanoot Store (Baghdad), Idea Books (Amsterdam), Inga Books (Chicago), Jacana Media (Auckland), Kalimat Foundation (Sharjah), Kaph Books (Beirut), Kawon Bookstore (Madaba), Litmus Press (New York), Locale (Abu Dhabi), Machi Mashy (Cairo/Rabat), Maraya Art Centre / 1971 Design Space (Sharjah), Mauzoun Writing & Publishing (Jeddah), Middle East Archive (Amsterdam), Misk Art Institute / Rizzoli: The Art Library (Riyadh), Mizna (Saint Pauls), Moniker Press (Vancouver), Dr Noha Farran (Sharjah), NYUAD al Mawrid Arab Centre for the Study of Art (Abu Dhabi), Pangolin Studio (Zagreb), Raking Leaves (Colombo), Saqi Books (London), Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (Sharjah), Sienna Store (Cairo), Sternberg Press (London), Tashkeel (Dubai), te editions (Hong Kong), The Third Line (Dubai), The Chutney Magazine (London), The Funambulist (Paris)
Focal Point Local Section
The Local Section spotlights books made by the UAE arts community—cultural institutions, galleries, publishers and nonprofit government cultural entities—as well as printed matter, illustrations, zines, comics, photography, stationery and screenprints produced by independent artists and booths by local retailers. This year’s local exhibitors are:
- Cultural Organisations and Book Retailers
Sharjah Art Foundation, Art Jameel, Kinokuniya, Sharjah Architecture Triennial, The Africa Institute
- UAE-based Artists
A Victorian Clown, Alreem Almannaei, Aysha Al Hamrani, Bayan Samman, Darrel Perkins, Eman AlRaeesi, Fatima Alketbi, Fatima Bahya Assalam, Halo, Hari, Hessa Almarzooqi, Hessa Alzarooni, Hyper House Publishing / Ahmad Makia, Lubna Aziz Omar, Maged Abbas, Mahnoor Bari, Mai Ayman Awwad, Maitha Al Omaira, Mariam Abdullah Al Ali, Mathalan, Medyyah Altamimi, Mitali Sampat, Mohammad Assaad Alhussaini, Mohammed Ameer, Morvarid Mohammad, Mouza Al Hamrani, Natalie Najjar, Noor Al Khamiri, Rasha Dakkak, Sana Haroon Abdulmajeed, Sara Al Khayyal, Shahed Shashaa, Shoug Tariq AlHeloo, Sohaib Nasir, Sondos Eatamadi, SWALIF Collective, Tawfik, Thalath x Mouza, The Noor Creative, Waggish
Focal Point 2023 Programme
As part of the book fair, Focal Point offers a programme of new publication releases from artists, authors and winners of the SAF Publishing Grant. Learning activities for children and families are also part of this year’s programme.
- Book Launches
Guests can attend releases of the Foundation’s latest publications—Corniche and Bait Al Hurma (Arabic and English). The fifth edition of the annual comic anthology Corniche expands on previous editions by sourcing comics and narratives from artists based throughout the GCC region. Contributing artists will share their stories that explore myriad themes, including heritage, science fiction, fantasy, metaphysics, dreams and myths. Bait Al Hurma features a volume of fantasy fiction revolving around the Foundation venue Bait Al Hurma, an old coral reef structure in Al Mureijah that served as a muse for a series of writing workshops. Five writers use the building’s symbolic value to speculate on its interlayered histories, meanings and portals.
- Workshops
Visualising Typographic Form with Riso (Arabic and English): Led by calligrapher, graphic designer and artist Ibrahim Khamayseh, this session will help participants develop their typographic artwork by learning about different calligraphy styles and scripts, as well as explore the most effective way to visualise calligraphic script using the Riso machine.
Put Together a Pop-up Book (Arabic and English): In this session, learners will design an interactive pop-up book using recycled materials, as they become familiar with paper engineering techniques, including methods for crafting dynamic pop-up elements.
Recreate a Book Cover (Arabic and English): Participants can make a cover for a book of their choice. They will be able to create a design that fits the theme of the book, choose an appropriate colour palette to make the title stand out and print their book cover.
Reimagining Library Practices (English): Drawing inspiration from the stages of the water cycle, this workshop will be led by Lubnah Ansari and Haewon Yoon/Seeds Collective. Participants will take part in four creative exercises to explore embodied reading practices and collectively contemplate the historical implications of libraries and texts.
Reading Session and 3D Story Scenes (Arabic and English): Participants will read and listen to a range of interesting stories. After the reading session, they will make a 3D version of a scenario from the story, using coloured paper, markers and other materials.
Experiment with Archival Cooking Zines (Arabic and English): In this workshop, learners will explore hidden treasures in historical cookbooks containing recipes and culinary techniques not commonly used today. Participants are encouraged to bring their own traditional family recipes, photos and illustrations to share with others as they create cooking zines together.
Palestine in Print (English): Participants will produce a personal zine about Palestine under the guidance of Ahmad Makia. As they put together information and images for the work, they will be able to delve into a compilation of open-source files that visualise and tell stories about Palestine, including poems, essays, interviews, illustrations, graphics, police files, newsprint and academic articles.
Critical Messaging: Make a Riso Poster (English): Participants will learn how to create critical posters and print them using the Riso machine with the help of Jazael Olgolin Zapata from Cráter Invertido, a Mexico City-based artist studio and space.
Make a Book with Found Objects (Arabic and English): In this workshop, children aged 6 to 10 can explore experimental approaches to the art of bookmaking, learn bookbinding techniques and incorporate found objects such as seashells, leaves and fabric scraps to turn books into unique creations.
YOUR ID Zine (English): Participants will learn how to create a zine about one’s self and their identities using Shrimpzine, an online open-source platform. Led by Beatrix Pang of the Hong Kong zine publishers' collective ZINE COOP, this session will explore both digital and printed zines and promote accessible tools such as mobile phones with camera and internet access.
- Reading sessions
The Man Who Runs for the World (Arabic): This family workshop will feature an excerpt from Halil Altındere and Süreyyya Evren's The Man Who Runs for the World, which was recently published by the Foundation. The children’s book traces the journey of ultra-runner Ahmet H. Uysal, who ran seven marathons in seven days across seven continents. Children and young adults will discuss their learnings after the session.
Bait Al Hurma (Arabic and English): Children aged 6 to 10 can listen to fantasy tales about Sharjah’s historic Bait Al Hurma and discuss what they have learned and enjoyed in the session.
Visiting Focal Point
Dates: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 24, 25 and 26 November 2023
Venue: Bait Obaid Al Shamsi, Arts Square
Timings: 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Admission is free, but registration is required. Book your tickets at sharjahart.org.
About Sharjah Art Foundation
Sharjah Art Foundation is an advocate, catalyst and producer of contemporary art within the Emirate of Sharjah and the surrounding region, in dialogue with the international arts community. The Foundation advances an experimental and wide-ranging programmatic model that supports the production and presentation of contemporary art, preserves and celebrates the distinct culture of the region, and encourages a shared understanding of the transformational role of art. The Foundation’s core initiatives include the long-running Sharjah Biennial, featuring contemporary artists from around the world; the annual March Meeting, a convening of international arts professionals and artists; grants and residencies for artists, curators and cultural producers; ambitious and experimental commissions; and a range of travelling exhibitions and scholarly publications.
About Sharjah
Sharjah is the third largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, and the only one bridging the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Reflecting the deep commitment to the arts, architectural preservation and cultural education embraced by its ruler, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Sharjah is home to more than 20 museums and has long been known as the cultural hub of the United Arab Emirates. It was named UNESCO's Arab Capital of Culture for 1998 and the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2019.
Media Contact
Alyazeyah Al Marri
alyazeyah@sharjahart.org
+971(0)65444113