At the eastern edge of the United Arab Emirates, where the Gulf of Oman meets the rugged coastline of Kalba, a former industrial site has been transformed into a monumental space for reflection. The Sharjah Art Foundation presents Of Land and Water, its first formal exhibition at the Kalba Ice Factory, marking a significant cultural moment not only for Sharjah, but for the wider Middle East.
The exhibition brings together large-scale works by artists and collectives from across the world, yet its conceptual core is deeply regional. At its heart lies the idea of tanah air — a Malay term for homeland formed from the words “land” and “water” — a notion that resonates strongly within Gulf societies shaped by migration, trade routes, pearling histories, and fluid maritime borders.
Rather than presenting belonging as fixed or territorial, Of Land and Water explores it as something unstable, negotiated, and often contested. This perspective aligns closely with Middle Eastern realities, where borders are historically recent, identities layered, and national narratives continually evolving.
Several works confront the darker dimensions of nation-building and colonial legacies. Monumental installations evoke rupture, loss, and displacement, suggesting that cultural forms — music, flags, rituals — can be reshaped and even weaponised by political ideologies. These themes echo experiences across the region, where state formation has often entailed exclusion as much as unity.
Other artworks focus on water as a connective force rather than a dividing line. Maritime traditions, spiritual beliefs tied to coastal life, and economies formed along sea routes reveal how communities on opposite shores share histories that transcend modern borders. In the Gulf context, this recalls the long-standing exchanges between East Africa, Iran, South Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula.
The choice of venue amplifies these ideas. Once a fish-feed mill and ice storage facility, the Kalba Ice Factory embodies labour, trade, and coastal survival. Its vast scale allows artworks to unfold with physical intensity, reinforcing the exhibition’s engagement with monumentality, erosion, and time. By repurposing this site, Sharjah Art Foundation extends its cultural presence beyond the city centre, asserting that contemporary art belongs across the entire geography of the emirate.
Ultimately, Of Land and Water does not offer a utopian vision of shared identity. Instead, it uncovers fragments — stories, materials, and gestures — that hint at connections often obscured by ideology or nationalism. In doing so, it positions the Middle East not as a periphery, but as a central space where global histories of land, water, and belonging converge.
Of Land and Water runs at the Kalba Ice Factory until 31 May, affirming Sharjah’s role as a leading platform for critical contemporary art in the region.
