Sharjah Biennial 14 - “Leaving the Echo Chamber”

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Celebrated photographer Ali Amar (@r1se) explores Sharjah Biennial’s three distinct art exhibitions. Its connecting theme is titled: Leaving the Echo Chamber, loosely questioning how art is produced in an age of globalised media.

Leaving the Echo Chamber brings the viewers’ attention to a series of concerns that surround us in our everyday lives that many are not able to see. Every news displayed before us is selected carefully by the government and media; to oppose that and make us more aware of our environment, the artists were given the autonomy to tell a story in multiple ways.

Since all that we have access to are textbooks with misleading truths and online documentations that were altered by the government, Journey Beyond the Arrow wants to shine light on the deeper meaning of how humanity has survived and the tools that were used to achieve this. It overstresses the importance of diversity and discussion throughout this planet and human history. While admiring these pieces of art, it had a feeling of accomplishment, understanding the evolution that humanity had went through and what it took to reach this state.

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In a period where people do not have the time to stop and take a breath, how can we stop to experience the moment we are living in to the fullest of our capacity? Making New Time pursues to express the aspect of social reality grounded in the objects and architecture that surround people through the eyes of the artists whose political freedom, engagement, and sharp observations push us to expand our beliefs and opinions. The viewers are begged to reflect on their involvement in a world that is endlessly slipping away.

Look for Me All Around You is consists of numerous scores drawn from Sharjah as a city, emirate and peninsular territory with migrant pictures and fugitive forms. The pieces of art evoke strong emotions and tell stories worth a thousand words. It really shows the importance of art and how it can be used to deliver strong messages and stories that cannot be otherwise put into words. The images go over the convergence of the Gulfs of Mexico and Oman and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans in a call and response between the Americas and the Emirates throughout global history.

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The non-homogeneous historical flows and equivalent present constituents of both the Arabian Peninsula and the American continents and narrow-minded territories as results of human and natural resource removal and misuse are publicized in Look for Me All Around You by showing in displaced artefacts, coded languages, sonic disturbances, brief presences, light flashes and shadow paths.

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Look for Me All Around You emphasizes the importance to differentiate between the difference of what is being looked for versus what is being looked at. Looking at the pieces of art might be confusing at first but the longer you look the more deeply you understand the meaning of the underlying message it is aiming to deliver.

Visiting this exhibition was an absolute pleasure, the messages and feelings evoked through the art pieces may be difficult to put in to words but can be simply felt and experienced which is why I recommend visiting this exhibition to experience it for yourself.

These three unique exhibitions will be on display from 7 - 10 March 2019 and I highly encourage you to pay a visit and admire the mesmerizing work of art by the talented artists.

Ali Amar

A passion for travel and filmmaking for over 5 years. To me its more than just a hobby; it's a lifestyle.