SHARJAH, 4th June, 2025 (WAM) – Following the successful opening of Sharjah Biennial 16, followed by the annual March Meeting and April Acts, Sharjah Art Foundation announced its Autumn 2025 programme. Highlights include the first institutional solo exhibitions in the region by Afra Al Dhaheri, Leda Catunda and Rachid Koraïchi, as well as a significant presentation of works from the Foundation’s collection at Kalba Ice Factory.
Autumn 2025 also includes the launch of two recent initiatives by the Foundation: a new photography gallery in Al Manakh and the opening of Al Majarrah Park, designed by the artist collective Superflex. The season includes the 2025 editions of Perform Sharjah, Sharjah Film Platform and Focal Point—the Foundation’s annual film festival, performance programme, art book fair in addition to music events.
The autumn season begins with the first institutional solo show of Afra Al Dhaheri. The exhibition invites the audience to reflect on the textures and rhythms of temporality by focusing on the artist’s mixed media works which experiment with repetition, layering and accumulation.
Marking the first major solo exhibition of artist Leda Catunda in the region, this presentation brings together a vibrant selection of her haptic works from the 1980s to the present. Catunda’s practice crafts together readymade graphics, fabrics and everyday items. Co-organised with Halle für Kunst Steiermark, Graz, the exhibition will travel to Austria in June 2026.
Spanning five decades of his practice, this major survey traces artist Rachid Koraïchi’s ongoing exploration into signs and symbols from a diverse range of languages and cultural traditions, through multifaceted installations inspired by the legacy of Islamic mysticism.
For the first time since its restoration, Kalba Ice Factory, the Foundation’s east coast venue, hosts a large-scale presentation of works from the Sharjah Art Foundation Collection.
November marks the launch of two landmark initiatives. In Al Manakh, the Foundation opens a new photography gallery housed in a repurposed former telecommunications building. The inaugural presentation features a wide-ranging selection of photographs from the Foundation’s collection.
Simultaneously, Al Majarrah Park, adjacent to Rain Room Sharjah, will open to the public following its transformation by the artist collective Superflex in close collaboration with Schul landscape architects, KWY.studio and local residents.
Sharjah Art Foundation’s performing arts season returns this October with the fourth edition of Perform Sharjah, expanding its presence across the cities of Sharjah and Khorfakkan. With a diverse lineup reflecting and celebrating Sharjah’s rich cultural fabric, the season will create shared experiences to connect people through art in familiar and unexpected spaces.
The eighth edition of Sharjah Film Platform, the Foundation’s annual festival of independent cinema and experimental filmmaking, includes the UAE premieres of a selection of films nominated by an international committee, all of which will compete for the Sharjah Film Platform Awards.
Sharjah Art Foundation’s annual art book fair showcases independent bookmaking from around the world. A critical space for knowledge-sharing and community building, the fair features a compelling selection of printed material by cultural producers who expand and experiment with the medium of publishing. It also includes workshops for print and design enthusiasts.
Sharjah Art Foundation is organising listening sessions and gatherings for the local community as well as concerts, workshops and talks. Sharjah will welcome a diverse group of musicians, who will perform and share their experiences of both traditional and experimental musical forms. A conference on maritime music from the Western Indian Ocean is also planned for the end of the year. Two book projects will be launched during Focal Point. More details will be available closer to the dates of the events.