SHARJAH.- The Sharjah Art Foundation announces the fifth annual March Meeting, a three-day symposium featuring presentations by artists, art professionals and institutions on the production and dissemination of art in the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa, South Asia) region and internationally. March Meeting 2012: Working With Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies will take place March 17 -19, 2012, in Sharjah’s scenic Heritage Area. The three-day forum will be held daily from 10 am – 6 pm and will coincide with a programme of engaging exhibitions and events showcasing work that has been created through commissions and residencies in the spirit of this year’s March Meeting theme. Special events will include the opening reception for Ziad Antar’s solo exhibition on March 16, followed by the Middle East premiere of a cinematic project commissioned by Artangel, 1395 Days without Red by Anri Sala and Šejla Kamerić, on March 17 and 18. At the closing reception on March 19, an announcement of the Sharjah Art Foundation’s 2012 Production Programme grant awardees will be followed by the Middle East premiere of Tarek Atoui’s Revisiting Tarab.
Now in its fifth year, March Meeting 2012: Working with Artists and Audiences on Commissions and Residencies aims to thematically explore the present realities, future outlook and dynamics between artists and institutions in the context of artistic commissions and residencies. Local, regional and international practitioners in this field will present keynote lectures, panel discussions and presentations exploring the topic through questions including: What are the challenges and opportunities for artists and institutions when collaborating on artistic commissions? How do international residencies serve as a vehicle for social change and cultural diplomacy? What is the impact of residencies and artistic commissions on local communities? How effective are residencies in terms of creating environments for artists to take risks?
Sharjah Art Foundation President Hoor Al Qasimi states, “The March Meeting serves as an important platform for artists and creative professionals of varying geographical, ideological and artistic backgrounds to come together and explore pressing issues and new avenues for the production and dissemination of arts and culture. The programme was pioneered in 2008 and has since grown under the Sharjah Art Foundation from being a pivotal event in the regional calendar, to a strong international gathering where individuals bring expertise, ideas and a desire to create new relationships and opportunities for artists and artistic exchanges.”
Participants for the 2012 March Meeting were selected both by invitation and through an open call for submissions in December 2011, to which nearly 170 applications by individuals from 45 countries were submitted.
*Please see below for a list of select participants. A full roster complete with participants’ bios and additional programme information will be available online at http://www.sharjahart.org/march-meeting/march-meeting-20121/programme.
The 2012 March Meeting precedes the 11th edition of the Sharjah Biennial to take place mid-March 2013. The 2013 Sharjah Biennial will be curated by Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT), and seasoned director, curator and advisor for international biennials.
