Abdulrahim Salem: The Unknown Sailor
Abdulrahim Salem speaks about his Sharjah Biennial 15 work, ‘The Unknown Sailor’ (2023), a live painting performance set to the Emirati sea shanty ‘Yamal’.
The traditional song intertwines with the history of fishing and pearl diving in the Arabian Gulf and was sung by ‘Nahhamin’, a group of singers who accompanied Emirati sailors in the early twentieth century.
‘The Unknown Sailor’ was created in real time at Kalba Ice Factory as the shanty was performed live during the opening week of the Sharjah Biennial 15.
