Publications
Current and archived a-n publications
Subscriber resource
Radical positions
It would seem that politics has taken centre stage in contemporary art.
A quick scan of recent exhibitions reveals a range of provocative shows such as the group show ‘Paranoia’ at the Freud Museum1, Mark Wallinger’s ‘State Britain’ at Tate Modern complete with the parental warning that the display “contains images of human suffering which some visitors may find distressing”2; ‘Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie: Class Hegemony in Contemporary Art’ at Gasworks, and the 2nd Seville Biennial: ‘Unhomely: Phantom Scenes in Global Society’. Sharjah Biennial 8 is a major contribution to this direct engagement between art and politics3. The frisson between art, freedom, ecology and cultural tradition is strongly felt in Sharjah, a princely state that is part of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ruled by a dynastic royal family that, politically, has had a ‘special relationship’ with Great Britain since the early nineteenth century, as the strategic location for trade (bordering the Persian Gulf) with India and the Far East, meant that during the era of the British Empire, the ruling family was allowed to govern its lands under a special treaty with the British monarch. The UAE is also rooted in Arab...
. . . to read the rest of this resource
and access all Knowledge Bank and Publication articles subscribe online - from only £6.
If you are a subscriber please login here.