Among the 700-plus images that the third Xposure International Photography Festival
is hosting, the exhibitions populated by Tribe, the region's only magazine dedicated to Arab photography; Union of Arab Photographers; and the Emirates Photography Society allow the viewer a great deal of understanding on how the advent of modern technology has changed things dramatically for the region’s young photographers, who have taken it upon themselves to lead the art and photography movement here.
As one walks through these exhibits, it is quite evident that perceptions regarding this lens-based art have experienced a paradigm shift in the past couple of decades. Gone are the days when famous images of the Arab world would only be taken by outsiders because, among other reasons, pursuing an artistic profession was something one could not be proud of back in the day.
This is why events like Xposure are vital not just for the UAE, or the region, but for the entire world, because they showcase how Arab artists are actively producing compelling work from a unique and sometimes under-represented viewpoint. In doing so, they shed light on a major shift in the overall perception about the creation and appreciation of art in the region.
The three exhibitions are champions of visual storytelling and bring to focus the huge diversity and richness of the Arab culture. From everyday life to colourful festivals, happiness on the streets, hardships of life in the desert and traditional horse races, the galleries offer a spectacular panorama of the contemporary situation in countries in Arabia and beyond.
Three exhibitions placing the region’s artists on a global stage
The Tribe exhibition highlights a selection of artists published within the eight editions of this Dubai-based magazine. The exhibition contextualises an expansive field of image-based work through various themes, while celebrating artists both internationally acclaimed, as well as those have recently been recognised.
The Union of Arab Photographers have brought together 50-plus works contributed by photography associations and galleries of professionals as well as individuals in Arab countries. In bringing their work to Xposure 2018, the Union fulfil one of their primary goals of supporting artists in the region as well as individual exhibitions in Arab and foreign countries.
An Xposure regular, the Emirates Photography Society is back with a comprehensive showcase of emerging photographers in the UAE who are honing their skills at this establishment, founded in 2005 by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to support the history and development of photography in the UAE.
These exhibitions are welcoming free walk-ins until Saturday, November 24.
Sharjah Government Media Bureau launched the concept of Xposure in 2016 as an International Photography Festival that would become an annual feature in the calendar of professional photographers, photography enthusiasts, filmmakers, students and educators from around the world.
