Aranya Art Centre in Guangzhou is set to present a landmark exhibition, “In Presence and Absence: Works from the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) Collection,” showcasing over 70 artworks spanning paintings, sculptures, photography, video, and textile works by 28 artists. The exhibition will open to the public from 22 March to 30 August 2026.
Focusing on artists from West Asia, South Asia, Africa, and their diasporas, the exhibition explores diverse interpretations of land. The curatorial approach highlights how artistic experimentation and distinctive trajectories have evolved from the 1950s to the present, bringing modernist works into dialogue with contemporary practices. This reveals important continuities and intersections across generations, situating contemporary art within a broader historical context.
Significantly, this initiative stands as one of the first institutional exhibitions in China devoted to examining the artistic practices of these interconnected regions.
The exhibition’s title is inspired by a poetry collection from Ahmed Morsi, an Egyptian artist and writer whose wide-ranging practice addresses themes of displacement and permanence. The exhibition utilizes a curatorial framework that regards land not simply as a geographical concept, but as a force that shapes visual language and identity.
Curatorial leadership for the exhibition is provided by Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, and Damian Zhang, Director of Aranya Art Centre, with the support of curatorial and research teams from both institutions.
The Sharjah Art Foundation is renowned for presenting contemporary art and cultural programmes that energize the artistic landscape in Sharjah, the UAE, and the broader region. Its wide-ranging initiatives include the celebrated Sharjah Biennial, March Meeting, artist residencies, educational programmes, and research projects, alongside a continually expanding art collection.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
