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Islamic arts festival in Sharjah from tomorrow

Sharjah - Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the festival will run until January 23, 2018, at six venues in Sharjah.

The 20th edition of the Sharjah Islamic Arts Festival (Siaf), an annual event organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture and Information (SDCI), will open doors tomorrow to the public.
Held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the festival will run until January 23, 2018, at six venues in Sharjah. 
Mohammed Al Qaseer, director of the department of cultural affairs at the SDCI, said the new edition's theme - Athar (impact) - will serve as a concept to unite artists. "The concept helps reveal the effect that the artists intend to achieve through their work. It will also show how to harness contemporary art to shorten the distance between the east and west. The impact of the festival is, in a way, a form of knowledge through which we recognise the 'moment' of the experience. This knowledge is a link between different times and cultures."
Farah Qassim Mohammed, Siaf executive, said: "The festival will have 270 activities in the form of exhibitions, lectures and workshops, with the assistance from 28 organisations. There will be 44 exhibitions, 31 of which will be at the Sharjah Art Museum, displaying works of artists from the UAE and around the world. Ten exhibitions will be held at the Al Majaz Waterfront, Al Majaz Amphitheatre, Awqaf Department, Al Qasba, Maraya Art Centre, and the Calligraphy Square -Calligraphy Centre, Calligraphers Studios, and Calligraphy Museum."
Khalid Muslit, head of the organising committee of Siaf, said the Siaf began in 1998 under the supervision of the Directorate of Art in the Department of Culture and Information, with the "aim of exhibiting various kinds of traditional and contemporary Islamic arts". "Over its consecutive editions, the festival displayed vibrant styles of Islamic art through its stringent selection of artworks - illustrating the authenticity of Islamic art and its ability to keep up with the current artistic changes. 
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com