19th Sharjah Islamic Art Festival

The 19th Edition of Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival titled ‘Bunyan’ opened at the Sharjah Art Museum on December 14, 2016 in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Ruler’s office; alongside His Excellency Abdullah Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture and Information; and Mr Mohammed Al Qaseer, Director of Cultural Affairs at Sharjah Department of Culture and Information.
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and ruler of Sharjah, the Cultural Affairs Department at the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information has organised the 19th Edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival. The event is an evident embodiment of Sharjah’s sincere interest in the Islamic influences on art.
With this year’s theme ‘Bunyan’ which is the Arabic word for ‘standing structure,’ ‘forming construction,’ or ‘man-built creation,’ the participating artists have been immersed in the endless spaces of contemporary art, with the focus on Islamic arts and their different variations and styles. The concept of Bunyan has been deconstructed to rebuild a discourse through visuals in the realm of contemporary Islamic arts. These distinct creations are the output of a series visual research conducted by creative architects and artists from different parts of the worlds. The exhibited artworks are visually stunning and represent interesting views on the same theme.
The 19th Edition of Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival hosts 364 activities in the form of exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. More than 20 organisations assisted in the coordination of the festival projects. There will be 42 exhibitions, of which 34 opened at the Sharjah Art Museum, presenting works of artists from 21 countries. 64 participating artists presented 232 artworks.

Highlights from the opening at the Sharjah Art Museum