Sharjah Biennial 7 Catalogue unveiled

The Arabic and English bilingual catalogue edited by artist and critic Kamal Boullata opens with the editor's critical introduction that presents the essays contributed to the catalogue by a range of Arab and international art specialists.

A foreword and introductory statements have been provided by the Department of Culture and Information, Sharjah, H.H. Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Biennial 7 and Hisham Al Madhloum, General Coordinator of the Biennial. Jack Persekian, Head Curator, Tirdad Zolghadr and Ken Lum, Associate Curators, also provide curatorial statements.

Speaking about the catalogue, Mr. Boullata said: "My role was similar to that of a musical conductor - the task involved careful selection of an international array of scholars, art and cultural critics; inviting them to address the theme of the Sharjah Biennial from different perspectives. The process called for orchestration of the different voices in such a way that it transmits to the audience the points of view of the contributors who have helped establish the theoretical foundations of contemporary art and culture in our world today."

He added: "The catalogue has an overview of the vast array of critics - from Italy's Achille Bonito Oliva, one of the earliest art critics to write on art and globalization, to Nicolas Bourriaud, France's youngest art theorist and director of Palais de Tokyo. Also featured in the catalogue are Cuban Gerardo Mosquera, one of the founders of the Havana Biennial and who is currently a curator at New York's New Museum, Lebanese novelist Elias Khoury, a leading innovator in Arab culture and renowned author; Paris-based Moroccan cultural critic Nadia Tazi, whose writings have been instrumental in elaborating a critical theory of global culture, and British art critic Jean Fisher, whose writings opened new vistas to art in the Third World."

"As diverse as they may be, a significant number of these essays refer to the prominent influence of Palestinian cultural critic Edward Said. The final essay by Said's compatriot and academic colleague Joseph Massad reveals how Said arrived at his critical views which were seminal in creating the aesthetic sensibility of our post-colonial world," Mr. Boullata added.

"Unconfined to the dozen essays originally written in five languages, the catalogue was devoted to the works of the 70 participating artists. Thanks to the team of over 30 translators and copy editors who worked feverishly with me to create the catalogue, I was able to meet the challenge and accomplish the task as the editor of the publication," he said.

The catalogue is the definitive document and record of the whole of the Biennial 7 and is now available from both the Sharjah Art Museum and the Expo Centre - Sharjah and retails at only Dhs. 300. Organisers suggest that distribution in bookstores will follow soon.

The Biennial, being held simultaneously at the Sharjah Expo Centre and the Sharjah Art Museum under the central theme of 'Belonging', will continue till June 6, 2005. The Biennial opens from 9am to 9pm (Saturdays to Thursdays) and from 5pm to 9m (Fridays). Entry is free.