Biennial Bytes

Artists Nida Sinnokrot and Sahar Qawasmi of the collective Sakiya talk to Natasha Ginwala about their participatory ecological practice based in Ein Qiniya, a village near Ramallah.

Sinnokrot and Qawasmi speak about the importance of keeping alive sustainable relationships to occupied lands through ancestral systems of knowledge as well as the need to equitably share resources, not just between humans but all of life.

Discussing their SB16 works, they reflect on how the sculpture series ‘Water Witnesses’ (2020–ongoing) speaks to the interconnectedness of water, sound and infrastructure and how the installation ‘Capital Coup’ (2024)—which interprets the US Capitol Building as a chicken coop—comments ironically on ideas of security and governance. Tune in to find out more about Sakiya’s work, rooted in experimental pedagogy, residencies and research programmes.

‘Water Witnesses’ and ‘Capital Coup’ are on view at the Old Al Jubail Vegetable Market in Sharjah City as part of Sharjah Biennial 16 (6 February to 15 June 2025).

 

CREDITS

 

Host: Natasha Ginwala

 

Guest: Sakiya (Nida Sinnokrot and Sahar Qawasmi)

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma, Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

 

Shownotes: Rajwant Sandhu, Kamayani Sharma

 

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Amal Al Ali and Osemudiamen Ekore

 

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

This episode was recorded on 28 January 2025.

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Kapulani Landgraf is a Kānaka Maoli artist from Pūʻahuʻula, Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu. In this episode, she speaks about the responsibility to engage in creative forms of resistance against the destruction and erosion of the ‘āina’—which encompasses her peoples’ land and its living entities, spiritual world, oral and written traditions, ancestry and future. 

She talks to Megan Tamati-Quennell about embracing the camera as a ‘weapon’ against cultural erasure and the impetus behind ‘Nā Wahi Kapu O Maui’ (1997–2003), her photographic series documenting Maui’s sacred sites.

Tune in to find out about the artist’s research process and hear an excerpt from a Hawai’ian oli [chant].

‘Nā Wahi Kapu O Maui’ is on view at Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah, until 15 June 2025.

 

CREDITS

 

Host: Megan Tamati-Quennell

 

Guest: Kapulani Landgraf

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma, Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

 

Shownotes: Rosalyn D’Mello, Kamayani Sharma

 

Music and Sound: Excerpt from a recording by Kapulani Landgraf of an oli titled ‘Aha Mo'olelo’ by Lilikala Kame'eleihiwa and Kealii Gora.

 

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee and Reem Sawan

 

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

This episode was recorded on 5 November 2024.

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In a wide-ranging conversation with Zeynep Öz, artist Mahmoud Khaled reflects on artistic solitude, futurity and ceremonies that accompany the unveiling of mega architectural projects. Khaled discusses the conceptual origins of his Sharjah Biennial 16 commission: 'Pool of Perspectives – 2030’ (2025), which was drawn from a nineteenth century ‘orientalist’ painting, modern poetry and classical Portuguese azulejo tiles.Tune in to learn about Khaled’s exploration of archives and modes of abstraction, and listen to a recording from his production of ‘Pool of Perspectives – 2030’. 

 

CREDITS

 

Host: Zeynep Öz

Guest: Mahmoud Khaled

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

Shownotes: Rosalyn D’Mello, Kamayani Sharma, Rajwant Sandhu and Jyoti Dhar

Music and Sound: Excerpt from recording during the production of ‘Pool of Perspectives – 2030’ (2025)

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, May Rashid and Meera Madhu

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

This episode was recorded on 19 November 2024.

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Amal Khalaf and Adelita Husni-Bey discuss climate crisis, critical pedagogy and what it means to learn with one’s body. Together they reflect on Husni-Bey's SB16 projects—the film installation ‘Like A Flood’ (2025) and the sculptures ‘Hunger Stones’ (2025). The artist and educator shares insights on working through colonial archives, radical theatre and poetry workshops, as well as addressing the idea of climate adaptability. Tune in to hear more about Husni-Bey’s practice, and listen to a sound exercise recorded during the making of ‘Like A Flood’.

‘Like a Flood’ is on view at Kalba Ice Factory and ‘Hunger Stones’ are placed both within and beyond the Biennial’s venues from 6 February to 15 June 2025.

 

CREDITS 

Host: Amal Khalaf

Guest: Adelita Husni-Bey 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

Show Notes: Rajwant Sandhu, Kamayani Sharma and Jyoti Dhar.

Music and Sound: Recording from production of ‘Like A Flood’ (2025) by Adelita Husni-Bey

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Abdulla Aljanahi and Raja’a Khalid

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

Commissioned by Sharjah Art Foundation and made possible thanks to the Italian Council Programme (2024), with the support of Alserkal Arts Foundation, Dubai.

This episode was recorded on 3 December 2024.

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Artist Pratchaya Phinthong speaks to Alia Swastika about his interest in mitigating the impact of the global climate crisis and the generative possibilities of research-based, contextual practice. Tune in to hear more about his collaborative project ‘We are lived by powers we pretend to understand’ (2024), commissioned for Sharjah Biennial 16 which included hand-carved granite stones bearing the patterns of solar panel grids being placed around Sharjah’s public spaces. Phintong tells us about how he organised this ecological initiative—involving scientists, divers, coral activists and UAE-based environmental policy makers—to extract coral from a heritage wall to resurrect reef structures. 

CREDITS

 

Host: Alia Swastika

 

Guest: Pratchaya Phinthong 

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

 

Show Notes: Rosalyn D'Mello, Kamayani Sharma and Jyoti Dhar

 

Music and Sound: Excerpt from field recording for 'We are lived by the powers we pretend to understand' (2024) by Pratchaya Phinthong

 

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Sara Al Mheiri and Khalid Mohammed

 

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

 

This episode was recorded on 2 September 2024.

 

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Natasha Ginwala speaks with filmmaker Naeem Mohaiemen about themes such as death, displacement and cinematic time.  Mohaiemen discusses his multilayered practice across photography, drawing and essays intertwining historical archives, political and personal stories spanning multiple geographies, from Bangladesh to Libya and Greece. In particular, he recalls a Bengali phrase by Nirmal Sen that translates to ‘we want the guarantee of a natural death’, an idea that echoes through his works presented at SB16: ‘Jole Dobe Na’ (Those Who Do Not Drown)’ (2020), ‘Karen’s Last Books’ (2023) and ‘Jamahiriya Means People: Okba ibn Nafa’ (2024). Listen to a song from ‘Jole Dobe Na’ and their discussion on these works.

‘Jole Dobe Na', ‘Karen’s Last Books’ and ‘Jamhariya Means People: Okba ibn Nafa’ are on view at Bait Al Serkal from 6 February to 15 June 2025.

 

CREDITS

Host: Natasha Ginwala 

 

Guest: Naeem Mohaiemen  

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

 

Show Notes: Rajwant Sandhu and Suguna Sridhar

 

Music and Sound: Excerpt from ‘Jole Dobe Na’ (Those Who Do Not Drown)’ (2020)

 

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Amal Al Ali and Osemudiamen Ekore 

 

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

 

This episode was recorded on 31 August 2024.

 

‘Jamhariya Means People: Okba ibn Nafa’ is supported by Sharjah Art Foundation and Experimenter, Kolkata/ Mumbai.

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Megan Tamati-Quennell speaks with Māori artist Ana Iti about the environments, sites and structures—such as Hokianga, the artist’s tribal landscape—evoked in her sonic and sculptural installations. Text and language run through her practice, including her Sharjah Biennial 16 commission ‘A hybrid made of both’ (2025), an installation that explores the historical and technological transition of te reo Māori from the spoken to the written form. Together, Iti and Tamati-Quennell discuss the responsibility of conserving te reo Māori as form of resistance against erasure. Tune in to learn more about Iti’s research and the role of writing in her creative process, and to hear a field recording from ‘A resilient heart like mānawa’. 

‘A resilient heart like mānawa’ is on view at Kalba Ice Factory, and ‘A hybrid made of both’ and ‘A dusty handrail on the track’ (2021) are on view at Old Al Dhaid Clinic from 6 February to 15 June 2025.

 

CREDITS

Host: Megan Tamati-Quennell

Guest: Ana Iti

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

Producer: Kamayani Sharma

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani

Shownotes: Mahshid Rafiei

Music and Sound: Excerpt from ‘A resilient heart like mānawa’ (2024) by Ana Iti

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee and Reem Sawan

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

This episode was recorded on 5 November 2024.

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Zeynep Öz, along with artist, educator and weaver Hellen Ascoli, delves into the textile traditions of Guatemala. They discuss Ascoli’s contributions to SB16 — a combination of collage, writing and weaving for the YAZ publication series, as well as a commissioned site-specific work using brick moulds, called 'The World Upside Down' (2024). Ascoli’s work with the backstrap loom, along with her translation practice in Baltimore, serve as entry points to explore the interconnections between tools and place through reflections on migration, language and hierarchies of knowledge production. Tune in to listen to the sound the backstrap loom produces as you learn about the embodied experience of weaving with it.

'The World is Upside Down' is on view at Al Dhaid Farm from 6 February until 15 June 2025.

CREDITS

Host: Zeynep Öz

 

Guest: Hellen Ascoli

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani 

 

Shownotes: Rajwant Sandhu and Suguna Sridhar

 

Music and Sound: Sound recording of the backstrap loom in use by Hellen Ascoli (2024)

 

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, May Rashid and Meera Madhu

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025

This episode was recorded on 15 October 2024.

 

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Amal Khalaf and Stephanie Comilang discuss her SB16 film installation 'Search for Life II', investigating socio-cultural and technological influences on migration, labour and ideas of belonging. Working in a genre she refers to as science fiction documentary, Comilang layers places and timelines, alongside human and non-human characters such as seafarers and monarch butterflies, to tell multifaceted migration stories. Their conversation reflects on how cargo ships and pearls embody complex narratives of movement, globalisation and industrialisation. Listen to an excerpt from her first iteration of her film 'Search for Life'. The second part is being presented at SB16. 

'Search for Life II' is on view at Al Mureijah Square from 6 February until 15 June 2025.

CREDITS 

Host: Amal Khalaf 

 

Guest: Stephanie Comilang 

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani 

 

Shownotes: Rajwant Sandhu and Suguna Sridhar

 

Music and Sound: Excerpt from 'Search for Life' (2024) by Stepanie Comilang 

 

Special Thanks: Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Abdulla Aljanahi and Raja’a Khalid

 

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025 

This episode was recorded on 3 December 2024.

Search for Life II is commissioned by TBA21, Sharjah Art Foundation and The Vega Foundation.

 

 

 

 

 

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Alia Swastika and Citra Sasmita talk about her collaboration with Kamasan maestra Mangku Muriati for their SB16 project 'Timur Merah Project XV: Poetry of the Sea,Vow of the Sun' (2024), unravelling female figures and narratives in Balinese history and mythology. They reinterpret the historical form of Kamasan painting through a feminist perspective, dismantling binaries such as traditional ritual art versus contemporary art. Join Swastika as she speaks to Muriati at her studio and gain insights into themes of decolonisation, translation and equitable access to knowledge. 

'Timur Merah Project XV: Poetry of the Sea,Vow of the Sun' is on view at Calligraphy Museum from 6 February until 15 June 2025.

CREDITS 

Host: Alia Swastika 

 

Guests: Citra Samsmita and Mangku Muriati 

 

Editorial and Content Strategy: Jyoti Dhar, Kamayani Sharma and Mahshid Rafiei

 

Podcast Producer: Kamayani Sharma

 

Sound Engineer: Basil Kisswani 

 

Shownotes: Rajwant Sandhu and Suguna Sridhar

 

Special Thanks 

Nawar Al Qassimi, Jiwon Lee, Sara Al Mheiri and Khalid Mohammed

 

© Sharjah Art Foundation, 2025 

 

This episode was recorded on 27 August 2024.

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