Sultan inaugurates 11th edition of Sharjah Biennial

The opening event, held in Sharjah Art Foundation, was attended by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah.

Upon his arrival, His Highness the Ruler was received by Sheikh Faisal bin Khalid bin Muhamad Al Qassimi, Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhamad Al Thani, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Civil Aviation, Sheikh Muhamad bin Saud Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Central Finance Department, Sheikh Isam bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Office of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Ports Authority, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority "Shurooq", Sheikha Hour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, President of Sharjah Arts Foundation, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Public Works, Sheikh Salem bin Abdul Rahman Al Qasimi, Director of the Office of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan.

His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah toured the different sections, viewing artwork which represents Biennial 2013's theme "Re:emerge... Towards a new cultural cartography", aiming to reevaluate the knowledge of the contemporary era, and to reconsider the relations between the Arab world, Asia, the Far East, North Africa and Latin America. Biennial 11, running from 13 March until 13 May, 2013, features more than 100 participants from 41 countries, including creative artists, architects, directors, musicians and theatrical performers.

Biennial 11's curator, Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, explained to His Highness the Ruler that the art featured in this year's edition was inspired by the historical courtyards of Sharjah which symbolize a hub that embraces the heritage of local culture.

The March Meeting, an annual event held for visual artists, will take place during the Biennial. The gathering aims to create discussions that revolve around the topics highlighted in Biennial 11. This year's March Meeting will be held in Sharjah Institute for Theatrical Arts and will commence with an opening speech by Sheikha Hour bint Sultan Al Qassimi, and curator, Yuko Hasegawa.