Hassan Sharif – Solo Show
Galleria Franco Noero – Turin, Italy
April 08 – June 15, 2024

Galleria Franco Noero is pleased to present Hassan Sharif’s solo exhibition, his first in Torino and also in an Italian Gallery, in collaboration with the artist’s Estate and announcing its representation. The exhibition pays homage to Sharif’s enduring legacy and profound contributions to the art world, presenting a curated selection of his most outstanding works and offering a significant glimpse into the artist’s transformative journey.

From his iconic objects series, to the mesmerizing complexity of his Semi-Systems, Sharif’s oeuvre reflects a profound engagement with form, time and social action. Embracing the beauty of imperfection, the artist’s work transcends traditional boundaries, inviting viewers to reconsider their perceptions of art and its role in society. A luminary in the realm of conceptual art, Sharif’s journey began with his cartoons, published in the UAE press, ironically critiquing the rapid industrialization of the Emirates and sparking a dialogue on societal progress and cultural identity. Rejecting conventional artistic norms, and utilizing common materials in accumulative installations, alongside intricate reflections on social and philosophical themes, in clear opposition to the trend of calligraphic abstraction that was prevailing in the 1970s Middle East, Sharif embraced a distinctly contemporary vocabulary, drawing inspiration from Fluxus and British Constructionism, and blurring the lines between art and everyday life.

Hassan Sharif belonged to the generation of Emiratis who were in their twenties when the UEA found itself hit by the incredibly rapid economic and energy transformation imposed by the unfolding of oil commerce. On the occasion of his participation in the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017, Sharif created an incredible installation reflecting precisely on the theme of massification and associated with economic development. The artworks can then be found displayed on the shelves of a supermarket, ready to be consumed by viewers and uncontrollably accumulated. The approach to repetition meets the artist’s mathematical studies in the beautiful Semi-Systems series. In this group of works, Hassan Sharif puts into practice a meticulous study of creation through mistakes and expresses the concept of art as the result of errors. The graphic sign is broken down and repeated in a rhythmic, methodical and nearly obsessive manner. Along with the completed work, the drafts that preceded it are exhibited, showing the very heart of this constructive process.

In the Objects series, the artist expresses the concept of accumulation and repetition through weaving: materials from everyday life and common use are entwined together, knotted into a web of glue, metal, papier mâché and rope in a concrete visualization of surplus and excess. Another important direction in which Hassan Sharif’s exploration moves is painting, which is also concerned with interpolation, permutation and variation within systems shifted from sculptural terms to the defined by the canvas, moving from the third dimension to a two-dimensional space, but always reflecting and expressing with great coherence the concepts elaborated through other techniques.

Renowned for his fearless exploration of form and social critique, his work continues to inspire and provoke audiences worldwide. Through his pioneering efforts as an artist, educator, and cultural activist, Sharif left an indelible mark on the contemporary art landscape, shaping the discourse of art in the region and paving the way for future generations of artists, fostering a vibrant culture of artistic exchange and dialogue in the Middle East and beyond.

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