Latest news with #MichaelParekōwhai
Time Out Dubai
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
Time's running out to see Sharjah Biennial 16
One of the biggest contemporary art exhibitions in the UAE is ending soon, so it's time to carve out some time this weekend. Sharjah Biennial 16, under the title to carry will come to a close on Sunday June 15. Until then, you can see the works in multiple venues across the city in everything from heritage buildings to public courtyards at Sharjah City, Al Hamriyah, Al Dhaid, Kalba and more. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation What is it? With more than 650 works by over 190 artists and over 200 brand-new commissions, it's a rich, multi-voiced conversation, spread across the city in everything from heritage buildings to public courtyards. Curated by five voices from different backgrounds and practices, the experience is all about allowing the art, thoughts and conversations to unfold. Exploring the exhibition There are free guided tours available, whether you're going solo or as part of a group. Sign up for a free tour here: You can even hop on a free Sunday shuttle from Al Mureijah Square at 2pm, with routes heading to both Kalba and Al Hamriyah. That's your transport and your tour sorted. Michael Parekōwhai, He Kōrero Pūrākau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: Story of a New Zealand river, 2011. Collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation. Photo: Danko Stjepanovic Play Michael Parekōwhai's Steinway grand piano There are also unexpected surprises, like He Kōrero Pūrākau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: Story of a New Zealand river which features a carved Steinway grand piano by artist Michael Parekōwhai. And it's just for show, trained pianists can actually book a slot to play it, activating the sculpture through their own interpretation. Book your slots on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until June 15, 2025. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation Listen to the exhibition For those who prefer a more relaxed kind of art immersion, there's always Biennial Bytes 2, the podcast offering behind-the-scenes chats with participating artists. Episodes drop every Monday on Apple, Spotify, Anghami, Google and other podcast platforms, or you can catch up via And when you're ready for a break, head to Fen Café & Restaurant for a snack or browse the Sharjah Art Shops for souvenirs and books. A little something to carry home with you, perhaps? Entry to Sharjah Biennial 16 is completely free, and doors are open Saturday to Thursday from 9am to 9pm, and on Fridays from 4pm to 9pm. See you there?
Time Out Abu Dhabi
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
Missed April Acts in Sharjah? Here's how the exhibition unfolded
Sharjah Art Foundation's very first edition of April Acts, a jam-packed three-day programme, came to a meaningful end on Sunday April 20. Workshops, conversations and performances at April Acts: to carry new formations nudged audiences to rethink how they engaged with art, ideas and each other. Shaped as a continuation of Sharjah Biennial 16, which remains on view until Sunday June 15, the exhibition took over Africa Hall in Sharjah. Michael Parekōwhai, He Kōrero Pūrākau mo te Awanui o Te Motu: Story of a New Zealand river, 2011. Collection of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, purchased 2011 with the assistance of the Friends of Te Papa. Installation view: Sharjah Biennial 16, Al Mureijah Art Spaces, Sharjah, 2025. Photo: Motaz Mawid. To carry new formations picked up from the Biennial's overarching concept to carry, diving deeper into how we collectively remember, resist, reimagine and reshape knowledge across borders and generations. It is less about learning in a traditional sense and more about shared reflection – what needs to be reimagined if we're to support each other better. See for yourself Screening of Roy Samaha, LEGACY// Premonition, 2024. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation. Courtesy of the artist. Sharjah Biennial 16, Mirage City Cinema, Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah, 2025 .Photo: Shanavas Jamaluddin Visitors got to try riso-print workshops, tune into listening sessions, join guided walks and watch films that go beyond storytelling. Sound played a big part in this edition, both as medium and message, with performances closing out each day. One of the evenings featured the now-iconic red Steinway grand piano carved by Māori artist Michael Parekowhai. Dhrupad vocalist Pelva Naik (right) and pakhawaj player Sukhad Munde accompanying dancer Tishani Doshi for her work Nyāsa, 2024. Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation. Performance view: Sharjah Biennial 16, Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, Sharjah, 2025. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation. Photo: Shafeek Nalakath Kareem Meanwhile, The Farm Project brought sound installations to life with contributions from Başak Günak, Berke Can Özcan, Sandy Chamoun and Hauptmeier I Recker, while poet and theatre-maker Koleka Putuma returned with WATER (reprise) – a performance tracing ancestral memory through bodies of water. There was also a space carved out for young curators from Southeast Asia and the UAE, thanks to an exchange programme led by Alia Swastika and Jo Lene Ong.
