Sharjah Art Foundation organizes Vantage Point Sharjah 11 with artists from Africa and Asia

The 11th edition of Vantage Point Sharjah ,Sharjah Art Foundation annual open-call photography exhibition, will be accompanied by a series of talks with participating artists, as well as workshops focused on photography techniques.

ArtDayME: Vantage Point Sharjah (VPS) is an annual exhibition that identifies and supports early-career photographers who were born in Africa and Asia, who are currently based there, or who are part of the diaspora.

The 11th edition features four artists and one collective, chosen through an international open call, whose work challenges established notions of photographic practices. Although the selected artists embody diverse approaches, they share overlapping tendencies— the pursuit of contemporary image-making techniques, recontextualisation of found or inherited images and engagement with the visual afterlives of colonialist legacies.

Oumaima Abaraghe (b. 1999, Casablanca) uses collage techniques and digital manipulation to reconstruct Morocco’s fragmentary colonial archive, signalling its inherent fallibility.

Oumaima Abaraghe, History as they present it, 2022

Yashna Kaul (b. 1995, New Delhi) unearths the secrets embedded in her family’s photo album and reveals how the framing of a moment can shape personal histories and collective memory.

Yashna Kaul, From ‘The Image World’, 2018–2022

Through emotive storytelling, Mohamed Mahdy (b. 1996, Giza) documents the displacement of the fishing community of El Maks, Alexandria, and captures the generational impact of urban redevelopment policies.

Mohamed Mahdy, From ‘Here, The Doors Don’t Know Me’, 2016–2023

Questioning the aspirations of nation-state imagery, Postbox Ghana [Nana Ofosu Adjei (b. 1993, Accra), Courage Dzidula Kpodo (b. 1999, Kumasi) and Manuela Nebuloni (b. 1986, Milan)] resituate popular postcard images of post-independence Ghana within the country’s contemporary urban landscape. Clea Rekhou (b. 1988, Paris) contrasts a series of soft-lit, intimate family portraits with narratives of generational violence, suggesting the complexity of human relationships.

Postbox Ghana, Muddy stories, 2023

Works will be displayed in two exhibition modes: independent presentations for the artists’ individual practices and a communal storytelling space that interweaves their combined practices. This year’s edition of VPS also includes a one-on-one professional mentoring programme pairing the artists with cultural practitioners or industry professionals of their choice.

VPS11 will take place from 14 October 2023 to 10 March 2024 in Old Al Diwan Al Amiri in Al Hamriyah.

Vantage Point Sharjah 11 Talks

Vantage Point Sharjah 11 finalists will speak about their practice and their exhibited works. Learn also about the latest image-making techniques, how to recontextualise found images as well as how to engage with archival material through photographic mediums.

The talks with with the participating artists will precede the opening reception and exhibition tour. The evening will end with a special performance by The Niki Mukhi Quintet, known for their dynamic live performances featuring exciting original compositions inspired by Flamenco, Indian Classical and West African music.

Artist Talk: Oumaima Abaraghe

Date: Saturday, 14 October 2023

Timings: 4:00 pm—4:20 pm, 20 mins