SAF hosted the second day of Reversible Conference

Overview

On December 8, Sharjah Art Foundation hosted the second day of, Reversible: Narrating Identity from the Inside Out and Outside In ; a three day conference organised by New York University Abu Dhabi in collaboration with FIND (Forming Intersections and Dialogues). The group of 51 artists and curators began their visit with a tour of the exhibitions currently on view at SAF Art Spaces: Abdul Hay Mosallam Zarara, /seconds. and GCC: Achievements in Retrospective. The conference programme in Sharjah included discussions and breakout sessions, and concluded with a performance by the composer, saxophonist and interdisciplinary artist Neil Leonard, which was held in SAF’s outdoor Mirage City Cinema.

The conference focused on how artists navigate the increasingly fluid concepts of identity and nationhood in a globalised and interconnected world, and brought together contemporary artists from the MENASA region and beyond to share methodologies and works in progress around common themes. The panelists discussed their own practice and the work of others, creating intersection and dialogues around their projects and collectives. The first discussion Reversible: Narrating identity from the inside out and the inside was moderated by Jessica Hagedorn and included participants Neil Leonard, Omar Rahim, Monira Al Qadiri, Shurooq Amin, Andrew Dosunmu and Lynette Wallworth. The second discussion panel Intersections with the Built and Natural Environments was moderated by Mo Ogrodnik and included Baptist Coelho, Susan Barnett, Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Roberto Lopardo and Malina Suliman.