Art – Georgina Clark

Perfect imperfections

February 9, 2022February 10, 2022 Georgina Clark

Ziryab Alghabri is a photographer/mixed-media artist based in Dubai. His subject matter is varied and unconventional, from the ethereal landscapes of some of the most remote parts of the Middle East, to Dubai’s modern cityscape captured from a gyrocopter, to simple emotive videos of Dubai’s unsung heroes, the delivery drivers.

Ziryab is currently working on a photographic collection for OpenSea, the world’s largest decentralised peer-to-peer NFT marketplace.*

G: Tell me about the new project?

Z: I am photographing the unique markings that women have on their face or body, like a scar, or a stretch mark, birthmark or a tattoo.

G: Why this theme?

Z: Body markings sometimes have important stories attached. I want to highlight the beauty of imperfection or difference. I think that images have become so filtered and generic now, flaws are hidden when they should be shown, celebrated, normalised.

G: Do you have any scars?

Z: I’ve lived in Dubai for a long time but I was born in Yemen so… I have a physical scar on my neck. I ran into barbed wire as a kid.

G: You are looking for people with scars to photograph for this new exhibition?

Z: Yah, any female in Dubai, any age, any ethnicity. If you have something unique on your skin, I’d like to photograph that, make it art.

G: When and where?

Z: If someone is interested, contact me through my IG. I can photograph their marking wherever and whenever they feel comfortable.

G: Do women need to show their faces as part of the photograph?

Z: No, they can be anonymous. If they would like to share a story about their unique feature or marking, it would be interesting to have the backstory.

G: Why do you chose to exhibit and sell your work on OpenSea, an NFT platform?

Z: It’s the future of art collecting! Using this format preserves the rights of the artist and the purchaser as the contract is built on block chain technology. Everything is transparent, the art is accessible to everyone and it enables artists to showcase their work to a global audience.

G: Is there payment for being photographed for this project?

Z: Not up front. If the digital photograph is purchased and the subject matter sets up a wallet, there can be a % fee.

G: How do people who are interested in featuring in this project contact you?

Z: IG account @ziryabalghabri

https://instagram.com/ziryabalghabri?utm_medium=copy_link

*If you’re wondering, NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token which is a one-off collectible digital thing, like an avatar, music or a piece of art. Each NFT is unique. OpenSea is a platform where people can buy, sell and auction NFTs.

Sharjah Biennial – the legacy

April 18, 2019April 18, 2019 Georgina Clark

For 26 years the Sharjah Biennial has presented innovative contemporary art from local and international artists, designed to enrich the cultural landscape of the region.

Since its inauguration in 1993, the Biennial has grown from humble beginnings into an internationally acclaimed event and a vital platform for global art and the exchange of ideas. The Biennial features artworks and commissions in the form of large-scale public installations, films, interactive media, performances, sculptures, drawings, moving images, music and paintings.

Emissaries by Ian Cheng

In its early editions, the Biennial selected artists to represent each participating country. More recently the focus has transcended geographical borders, moving away from the artist’s location and towards the individual artists themselves with a focus on how the artist engages with their work, within the framework of a curatorial theme.

Historically, Biennial themes have reflected upon regional and world events. Biennial 8 Still Life: Art, Ecology, and the Politics of Change examined the growing environmental challenges in the world due to excessive urban development, political ambitions and the depletion of natural resources. The relationship between the Arab world and other non-Western worlds was re-examined in Biennial 11 Towards a New Cultural Cartography and Biennial 12 The past, the present, the possible explored the emirate’s potential in the context of its history, its transition and an imagined future.

PIC 1 mossie

The Flycatcher by Astrid Klein

The benefits of the Sharjah Biennial for Sharjah and collaborating partner cities has been undeniably positive. Art in all its forms has an outlet and is flourishing. The emirate is a recognized center of culture and renowned for nurturing emerging artists, expanding horizons of knowledge and fostering originality and creativity in art through outreach programs, residencies, commissions, education programs and exhibitions.

Huguette Caland

The Biennial offers an artistic insight into who we are as human beings and how we see our world. Assumptions about societal values are challenged in a manner which exposes hypocrisy, ignorance and uncertainty. Such a heritage will appeal to those who seek answers to the difficult questions that we face as world citizens within political boundaries.

Urbicide by Khadim Ali

The enduring legacy of successive Biennials will be to encourage dialogue and connectivity between those fortunate enough to be a part of, or visitor to, the exhibitions. The dedication of the city and the Trustee of the Sharjah Foundation to the quality of this exhibition makes this Biennial the most significant and engaging showcase for contemporary art in the Middle East.

Sharjah Biennial 14 runs until the 10 June 2019. To find out more, please go to Visit Sharjah

No umbrella required

December 10, 2018December 10, 2018 Georgina Clark

I’m in one of the driest parts of the world and I’m walking into a downpour with no umbrella or raincoat and I’m not getting wet.

Welcome to the Rain Room, an art installation that is being exhibited at the Sharjah Art Foundation in the UAE. The installation is a collaborative effort by a studio in London and has been viewed around the world.

The Rain Room itself is dark and cavernous and the sound of rain is loud but the overall effect is oddly peaceful. Teeny flecks of water bounce around you but as you navigate your way through the rain, your movement is detected by motion sensors that keep the radius around your body, dry. It feels almost miraculous to have the rain part around you.

In a sense, everyone who walks through the installation becomes a part of it, as this interactive piece has been designed for people to be the performers on this very unique stage. The Rain Room is both a soothing echo chamber and technical marvel, thank you Sharjah Art Foundation for the tour.