Sharjah Art Foundation – Complete Guide

The Sharjah Art Foundation in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, is one of the most important venues for modern artists from around the world to present their work in its exhibitions. Sharjah Art Foundation’s mission is to promote arts and literature so that UAE residents and ex-pats alike can engage in arts as well as literature activities. In 2009, Hoor Al Qasimi, the daughter of Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi (the current ruler of Sharjah), established the Sharjah Art Foundation. The Art Foundation’s mission was to help artist communities in Sharjah and other parts of the world through a variety of channels.

Sharjah Biennial (a biennial international art show), art exhibitions, the Annual March Meeting (an annual gathering of art practitioners), art residencies, commissions, production grants, creative research, and publications were among these platforms. The Foundation is brimming with wonderful pieces of art, performances, music, film screenings, as well as artist talks by Arab and international artists. These works of art and instructional materials are intended to captivate audiences of all ages.

Sharjah Art Foundation – Timings, Entry Fee, Tour Time Required

Timings: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Friday) | 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Saturday – Thursday)

Entry Fee per person: AED 10

Total time required for the total tour: 2 to 3 hours

Sharjah Art Foundation – Things to Do

Apart from seeing the breath-taking artistic works on display at Sharjah Art Foundation, there is a lot more to do.

Listed below are a handful of them:

• Explore the Sharjah Art Foundation’s Residence Program, where artists and visitors alike can learn more about the history of this massive initiative.
• Participate in the calligraphy, pottery, and other competitions hosted at this museum, and you might just win first place.
• Visit the Art Foundation on a self-guided intuitive group tour.
• Enjoy the film screening event, which brings together new filmmakers on stage to present their debut production.
• Participate in fun workshops and activities promoting the arts and literature.
• Attend the Vantage Point Sharjah Exhibition, where visitors are asked to photograph.
• The Sharjah Art Foundation’s Garden is a collaborative environment for social learning and a creative site for local communities.
• Experience Sharjah’s daily life and culture through photography.

Sharjah Art Foundation – Tickets and Packages

Sharjah Art Foundation hosts various exhibitions, events, and programs in sectors like art, filmmaking, live music, as well as dance performances, calligraphy competitions, and more. A general visit to the Sharjah Art Foundation, however, will not cost you anything. However, there are some costs associated with attending exhibitions, festivals, or other competitions. For more, you can visit their official website. The following is a list of them.

Sharjah Rain Room – Artificial room

Tickets are available for purchase either online or at the venue. A maximum of six persons can be inside at any given time, with a maximum visit period of 15 minutes.

Prices are the following:

• 25 AED for adults.
• 15 AED for students
• 15 AED for the teacher

Children under the age of five as well as people with disabilities are not charged.

Sharjah Film Platform

Supporting diverse filmmakers from around the world by assisting them with their projects and offering a venue for their premieres. You can purchase tickets for these wonderful films by these talented filmmakers either online or at the venue.

Sharjah Art Foundation – Events, Exhibitions, Collections, Projects

As a center for the arts and artistic advances, Sharjah Art Foundation hosts a large number of international exhibitions. For instance. let’s take a look at them.

Events

Throughout the year, the Sharjah Art Foundation presents a variety of events and activities, including performances, film screenings, music, art education programs, and artist lectures for adults, children, and families. It aids in the promotion of literature and arts among the general public.

The following are some of the events that have taken place:

• Muhaqqaq Calligraphy – Beginning Level
• Tawqi Calligraphy
• Diwani Script for Professionals
• Painting Techniques for Ceramics
• Drawing Southern Iraqi Marshes
• Sculptures Using Wires and Nets
• Ceramics and Pottery for Adults
• Sculpting for Adults
• Making Ceramic Murals
• Lecture: A Painting and an Artist
• Relief Technique – Carving Letters
• Children’s Open Day 18
• Making a Clay Citrus Juicer
• Old Kufic Script
• Shaping a Vase like a Fish

Exhibitions

Sharjah Art Foundation goes to great lengths to support local and international artists by exhibiting their work at international exhibits hosted here throughout the year.

The following are a few of these exhibitions:

• Andrew Stahl: 1976-Today
• Vantage Point Sharjah 7
• Surface Tension
• Lasting Impressions: Adam Henein
• Air Arabia Curator In Residence: ‘32: The Rescore
• Akram Zaatari: Against Photography. An Annotated History of the Arab Image Foundation
• March Project 2019
• Bani Abidi: Funland
• Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian: Sunrise, Sunset
• Marwan Rechmaoui: Slanted Square

Collections

Sharjah Art Foundation is particularly interested in acquiring art objects through exhibits, foundation projects, and other sources. The majority of these collections are the work of local artists.

The following are a few of these collections:

• La Vigie
• Burnt Umber & Ultramarine Blue
• I LOVE EGYPT
• Into the Future
• Männergeschichten
• Al Khan city of Sharjah
• The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni
• Gravida’s Fourth Wall
• Gravity and Others
• Shahrazad
• Building
• Tunnel
• Sharjah Ceilings
• White Dream

Projects

Sharjah Art Foundation has worked on several projects with many prominent regional and worldwide artists, which are displayed in their shows.

The following are a few of them:

• At the Time of the Ebb (2019)
• Even the Stars Look Lonesome (2019)
• The Gulf Project Camp (2019)
• Any way the Wind Blows (2018–2019)
• The Trans-National (2019)
• Land of Zanj (2019)
• Imperfect Isometry (2019)
• Carlos Martiel: Various Works (2019)
• Pataki 1921 (2019)
• Massive Kinship (solitary promenade) (2019)
• Untitled (inwardness, juice, natures) (2019)
• Eisa Jocson: Various Works (2019)
• Sympoiesis Observatory (2019)
• Perruques Architectures Émirats Arabes Unis (2019)
• ‘No prey, no pay’ (2018–2019)

Sharjah Art Foundation – Food and Beverages 

You may be hungry after spending so much time looking at foreign art and crafts. Don’t be concerned! Take your kids to the top ten restaurants (nearby though) to visit while visiting the Sharjah Art Foundation are mentioned below.

1. Karachi Darbar Restaurant

Location: Al Shuwaiheen Corniche St | Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah | UAE
Cuisines: Non-veg and Veg
Cost for 1: AED 35

2. Majlis Lahore Restaurant

Location: Al Shuwaiheen Corniche St | Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah | UAE
Cuisines: Multi-cuisines
Cost for 1: AED 25

3. City Corner Restaurant & Cafeteria

Location: Al Shuwaiheen Corniche St | Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah | UAE
Cuisines: Seafood dishes
Cost for 1: AED 40

4. Lalit Vegetarian Restaurant

Location: Al Shuwaiheen Corniche St | Sharjah Art Foundation | Sharjah | UAE
Cuisines: vegetarian cuisine

Cost for 1: AED 15

5. Al Safeer Restaurant

Location: Al Shuwaiheen Corniche St | Sharjah | UAE
Cuisines: Arabic as well as continental items
Cost for 1: AED 35

6. The Restaurant at Al Bait Sharjah

Location: Heart of Sharjah, Al Mareija Next to The Spa | Sharjah | UAE
Cuisines: Indian, Contemporary, Asian, Arabic, and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Cost for 1: AED 60

7. Al Saroud Alturathi

Location: Al Mareija St | Corner of Corniche St & Hisn Ave | Sharjah | UAE

Cuisines: Grilled seafood and Arabic dishes 

Cost for 1: AED 30