Hassan Sharif: I Am The Single Work Artist’ began as the largest exhibition of the artist’s work staged across Sharjah Art Foundation’s venues in 2017 to 2018, curated by Hoor Al Qasimi.
Accompanying the exhibition tour is the eponymous publication which presents the Foundation’s research into Sharif’s multidisciplinary practice. It includes lost works, original English translations from his journalistic and experimental writings alongside archival materials from ephemeral exhibitions and happenings as well as dialogues and reflections by Sharif’s contemporaries in the UAE. It is not a typical exhibition catalogue or a chronological book, but an experimental work that reflects Sharif’s practice and weaves a personal narrative from the various threads of his career. The publication serves as a vital resource for scholarly and curatorial interest in contemporary art practice, and as a reference for how cultural ideas travel and, in the process, are transformed.
About the Artist
Recognised as a driving force in the transformation of the regional art community, Emirati artist Hassan Sharif was a pioneer of conceptual art and experimental practice in the Middle East. Moving between roles as artist, educator, critic and writer, Sharif worked to encourage the engagement of local audiences with contemporary art through his Arabic translations of historical art texts and manifestos, as well as the founding of informal art spaces and ateliers.
About the Editor
With a passion for supporting experimentation and innovation in the arts, Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation, is a curator who established the Foundation in 2009 as a catalyst and advocate for the arts in Sharjah, UAE, as well as regionally and internationally.
About the Publishers
Located in Sharjah’s historic Art and Heritage Areas, Sharjah Art Foundation activities and events take place throughout the year and include exhibitions featuring the work of Arab and international artists, performances, music, film screenings and artist talks as well as extensive art education programmes for children, adults and families. The Foundation hosts the annual March Meeting and every two years present the Sharjah Biennial.
Koenig Books is an imprint of Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König (VWKG), which was founded in 1968 by Walther and Kasper König. Since 1980, Walther König is the sole publisher of VWKG, which specialises in artists’ books and artist-led catalogues. His son, Franz Koenig, who is based in London, has been publishing under the imprint of Koenig Books since 2001.
