Vantage Point Sharjah is back this year for its eighth edition, continuing Sharjah Art Foundation’s commitment to supporting the medium of photography.
On view from 29 August through 28 November, Vantage Point Sharjah 8 (VPS8) presents the work of over 30 photographers from more than 20 countries, selected from an international open call. Through a variety of approaches including collage, analogue photography and digital manipulation, the selected images tell stories of personal experience and community life, and offer reflections on the human condition, captured landscapes and nature as well as imagined futuristic scenarios.
This annual exhibition offers the Foundation’s local, regional and international communities an opportunity to take part in what has become an important, core Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) initiative. The open call application process encourages submissions from both professional and amateur applicants, while supporting the development of new tools and techniques and the representation of a broad diversity of voices. This year’s edition attracted 290 applicants from more than 20 countries.
The photographers selected for VPS8 are: Elaheh Abdolahabadi, Katya Akuma, Raheed Allaf, Sundos Alsheebani, Armin Amirian, Gheed Ashoor, Marwan Bassiouni, Abdelhamid Belahmidi, Hasan Belal, Renata Siqueira Bueno, Hoor Abdullah Al Dukhan, Nadja Ellinger, Tara Fallaux, Tala Touckley Faried, Attila Fekete, Gianluigi Guercia, Kawayan de Guia, Akam Shex Hady, Khoula Hamad, Prapat Jiwarangsan, Amina Kadous, Henry Ace Knight, Srinivas Kuruganti, Spandita Malik, Maryam Namvar, Meena Nanji, Walid Nehme, Maryam Al Noaimi, Joseph Obanubi, Ramy Radwan, Prasad Sadanandan, Kristina Sergeeva, Arpita Shah, Abdo Shanan, Reema Shatat, Giulio Di Sturco, Miao Ting, Santiago Velez and Jack Yong.
This edition of the exhibition will be presented in the Foundation’s Al Hamriyah Studios for the first time. Inaugurated in 2017, the contemporary exhibition space was built on the site of a former souq situated on the coast at Al Hamriyah in Sharjah. A multi-purpose facility, Al Hamriyah Studios was used as an exhibition space for Sharjah Biennial 13 and has often hosted seasonal exhibitions, educational workshops and a film club.
The first Vantage Point Sharjah took place in 2013 and was conceived as an initiative to engage with the local community through a call for submissions open to UAE-based photographers. As its popularity has grown over the years, the geographic remit has expanded while exhibition themes have included ‘Self-Portraiture’, ‘Performance’ and ‘Architecture and Urban Landscape’. In an effort to further encourage the development of creativity in the field, since 2019 international applicants have been free to choose their own themes and artistic approach. The resulting exhibition offers Sharjah audiences an opportunity to discover the work of emerging photographers from the UAE and around the world.
Note for the visitors: To ensure the comfort and safety of the community and adhere to social distancing guidelines, visitors interested in viewing the exhibition should book a slot in advance. Enhanced sanitation and disinfection will take place between visits in line with recommendations from health authorities. The exhibition is free to attend and open to all, however booking in advance is highly encouraged. Read more about Sharjah Art Foundation’s new safety policies here.
