Imagination is the highest kite one can fly, and who can have
a more vivid imagination than children. Their inquisitive, elastic minds and an
incredible spirit of adventure and love for play give them the power to
capacitate an infinite spectrum of imagination.
The mind of children is like clay, if moulded correctly it can
create brilliance. They are seekers of magic; they look for something thrilling
to believe in and to run wild with their imagination. They are fearless in
expressing themselves and exploring this attitude is what will develop
inspired, creative minds of tomorrow.
 |
| A child painting at the Sharjah Children's Biennial |
This was the vision behind launching the Sharjah Children’sBiennial a few years ago, which is already in its fourth successful edition this
year, and has been able to magnetize budding talent of children displayed in
more than 500 artworks from all over the world.
Encompassing the entire stretch of the Sharjah Art Museum,
this year’s biennial will be running until February 9 and is an extremely
unique and innovative medium of displaying raw, untapped talent of children in
the UAE. Being first in the region, this event called for an open worldwide
hunt for artworks created by children and made selections from an extensive
myriad of submissions.
 |
| A display of the many selected artworks at the Sharjah Children's Biennial |
Nasir Nasrallah, the biennial curator said, “We worked
closely with schools in the UAE and the region, as well as with embassies to
reach out internationally. We were really surprised at the quality and talent
of the art we received”. This was evident whilst strolling through the exhibition
hall that was donned with 550 exquisite artworks of children ranging from ages
5 to 18, from all over the globe – the United States and the Czech Republic to
Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
The theme of this year’s biennial was “Questions” which was
interpreted impeccably in the paintings and drawings that were submitted and
truly displayed the amplitude of a young child’s imagination, aptly serving the
purpose of choosing the theme. As expressed by Nasrallah, “We chose ‘questions’
as the theme because children are naturally curious and want to know as much as
possible. We wanted to make the most of that and we wanted them to keep on
asking – it is not necessary to get an answer from this show.”
 |
| Children engaging in the workshop activities held during the biennial |
The artworks submitted for this year’s edition covered a
diverse array of topics such as environment, technology, fairy tales,
architecture, culture, and language that all at some degree creatively reflected
the “questions” theme. These artworks will not be solely stationed at the Art
Museum but will be relocated to other venues in Sharjah during the second month
of the biennial for greater exposure and awareness among the residents of
Sharjah, maybe even the rest of the UAE for developing children’s artistic
abilities.
 | |
|
The exhibition which has been organized under the patronage
of Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, the wife of Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin
Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah has been divided into six segments – How,
Who, What, Where, When, and Why. In the months leading up to the biennial, Nasrallah
and his team organized six invigorating workshops, each within its respective
category, to guide and mentor the children in the UAE to create artworks that
would potentially be selected for display in the exhibition.
The workshops were a medium through which Nasrallah and his
team strived to explore deeper into the youth’s talent by organizing several
interactive activities. In the “How” segment there were activities that taught
the children all about inventing personal codes and painting or drawing their
questions on canvases that were later stretched over light boxes. Whereas the
“When” segment tried to delve into the concept of time in which prominent
Emirati artist, Dr. Najat Makki headed a workshop on old traditions of Emirati
families and how to draw inspiration from their inherent culture.
The “Who” segment was all about portraiture and blending with
the fast emerging social media by organizing an interactive class on ways to
take the best selfie. To keep children engaged and stimulated throughout the
workshop an interactive wall was assembled for children to hang empty bottles
of water in which they were encouraged to plant seeds. According to Nasrallah,
“We had to think of as many ways as possible to keep the children interested
and constantly entertained. This wall encourages them to come back again and
see how their plants are growing”.
 | |
|
Apart from the workshops on the six segments there were
several other stalls set up to enthuse the young crowd and open their minds to
the numerous ways that can be used to express their imagination and artistic
creativity. A local perfume company for instance held a workshop to expose
children to carious different fragrances and draw their reactions based on it.
Art is not just about drawing or painting, even food is way
to express art and creativity, this was encouraged during the exhibition by the
pop-up stall built by ‘MUMMUM’, a
Saharjah restaurant that is devoted to offering a platform for food prepared by
children. Throughout the exhibition the children were guided to opening their
minds to other forms of art apart from just drawing or painting, like
photography, sculpture, and installations. “This exhibition is by the children
and for the children”, expressed Nasrallah and added that, “Art is important
for all children, even if they are not going to pursue it in later life, it can
help them in any career and with life skills in general”.
The biennial also welcomed the talent of children with disabilities
and encouraged their involvement by displaying selected artwork of special
needs students and deaf children studying at the Sharjah Humanitarian City.
The biennial proved to be an unprecedented prospect for acquiring
an exclusive insight into the mind of young children, our future generation, and
how they view the world around them. Looking at the artworks displayed at the
biennial it is evident that children are not as naïve today as we may think. They
are in fact well aware of the challenges that the world is facing and if given
a chance they will can be a valuable resource for communities as they can help
discover innovative ways to overcome the challenges.
 | |
|
As quoted by Manal Ataya, the director general of Sharjah
Museums Department, “The biennial is a wonderful chance to support the children
of today on their path to being the leaders of tomorrow. That path includes
having opportunities to be creative, to express thoughts and emotions through art,
and to make positive long-lasting connections with peers and across cultures.”
No comments:
Post a Comment