More than 150 artists and groups from 70 countries exhibit around 300 works in the most diverse formats at the event, considered the third largest in this Gulf nation.

Among them are Latin American women such as Cuban-American Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Argentine Gabriela Golder, Peruvian Flavia Gandolfo and Doris Salcedo from Colombia – among others.

The contemporary art exhibition, which takes place every two years and is presented in the city of Sharjah and other municipalities of the emirate, covers a variety of media such as print, mixed installations, performance, video, audio, photography, textile, sculpture, painting and drawing.

This year’s edition, conceived by Enwezor (who died in 2019 at the age of 55) and directed by Sharjah Art Foundation, Hoor Al Qasimi, is titled Thinking Historically in the Present. It reflects about the work of its creator, who transformed contemporary art and influenced the evolution of institutions and biennials around the world.

Al Qasimi, who interpreted and developed Enwezor’s proposal, which gave the title to this edition, said the result is a tribute, a sample of the learning that came from him.

The Biennial proposes a transcultural universe, in which the artists present perspectives on nation, tradition, ethnicity, gender, body and imaginary which can be appreciated in several venues, spread over five cities in the emirate of Sharjah, known for being a cultural center in the region and named Arab Capital of Culture in 1998 by Unesco.

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