Under COVID-induced hiatus, Sharjah Biennial had been missing from the Arab art landscape for nearly four years. Speaking to Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi of the Sharjah Art Foundation, we find out what drove its return, and what themes permeate its design.
Rummana Hussain's conceptual artistic imprint on the state of India is relevant now more than ever. Dealing in the currency of feminist expression, postcolonial thought and perennial ideas, Rummana's India is both doubly colourful and doubly dark.
Farah Abdessamad celebrates the inclusion of Tunisian Harissa in the UNESCO Heritage list by recounting her personal relationship to it having grown up in France. She argues that amidst global attention, the condiment's essence must be preserved.
Book Club: The civil war in Yemen has brought about untold suffering. For Yemeni author and journalist Bushra al-Maqtari, bringing those responsible to justice is of paramount concern, as is the necessity to remember those lost to the horrors of war.
Despite aiming to advance decolonial discourses and challenge power structures in the art world, the 12th Berlin Biennale continued to alienate local voices in favour of tokenisation and fetishisation, writes Farah Abdessamad.
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there. At the turn of the 20th century, many Syrians came to settle in New York, spawning a thriving community. But what was a burgeoning community has been largely forgotten, until now.
The Beyond King Tut show soon to open in the US, is the latest expression of orientalism. The West is more interested in Egypt’s dead mummies than the living masses being criminalised for daring to search for a better life, writes Farah Abdessamad.
Inimitable Algerian artist Rachid Koraïchi's latest exhibition Le Chant de l’Ardent Désir is a transcendental and hypnotic experience that compels the viewer into examining our shared experiences of loss, longing, human suffering and dignity.
Film Review: Three Songs for Benazir is a touching account of Afghan lives amidst division and occupation. Available now on Netflix, the short-form documentary ensures we remember those lives changed beyond repair.
Much of Hrair Sarkissian's art is heavily influenced by his Syrian-Armenian roots. An expression of intergenerational trauma and contemporary uncertainty, Sarkissian's latest exhibition at the Sharjah Art Foundation is a must-see.