Ras Al Khaimah Contemporary Art Biennale
CivilizationsUnder the Same Sky
“Civilizations: Under the Same Sky” introduces the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Contemporary Art Biennale. The exhibition presents civilizations as dynamic, living systems, shaped by identity, memory, spirituality, and imagination.
Sutee Kunavichayanont’s meditative video installation and Stefano Cagol’s performance filmed under the midnight sun explore the metaphysical. Photography by Hicham Benohoud and Marie Hudelot offers fresh perspectives on the human body and symbolic heritage. Other works reimagine tradition as resistance and remembrance, such as Hannan Abu-Hussein’s dowry blanket tower, Sophy Abu Shakra’s blend of embroidery and code, and artworks addressing gender equality by Samaneh Roghani and Kawita Vatanajyankur.
Marie Hudelot, Untitled, Heritage series, Photography, 2013
Hicham Benohoud, Untitled, Acrobatie series, Photography, 2015
Ancestral voices and contemporary experimentation are interwoven, from abandoned pianos captured by Romain Thiery to Rotem Tamir’s tactile textiles. Looking forward, Francesca Fini’s AI-generated Posh on Mars imagines speculative futures shaped by new technologies.
The Biennale affirms that civilizations flourish through multiplicity, inviting visitors in Ras Al Khaimah to reflect on humanity’s shared sky and to imagine the worlds we can create together.
Sharon Toval
Sharon Toval is a contemporary art curator and researcher whose work is shaped by multicultural experiences and international perspectives. With advanced academic credentials in art history, policy, and museum studies, he has curated impactful exhibitions in museums and galleries worldwide. He is the founder and manager of The Lab, an experimental art space dedicated to artistic research and innovation that supports emerging artists, and serves as Head Curator and Collection Manager for a major hotel chain and private institutions, where he also oversees artist residency programs. His key curatorial projects include “Rima: Passages in Sephardic Sculpture” at the Rochester Art Center (USA), “Hshuma” at the MACT/CACT Museum (Switzerland), the retrospective “Don't Go Too Far—Works 1980–2022” at the Mishkan Museum of Art, and group exhibitions such as “Longing, Be-Longing” and “Unveiling Human Echoes” for the Ras Al Khaimah Art Festival 2022–2024 in the U.A.E., alongside projects at venues including Palais Porcia KhunstRaum in Vienna and CBK—Center for Visual Arts in Rotterdam.
Toval is the curator of the Civilizations Under the Same Sky. His curatorial philosophy sees art as a bridge that fosters empathy, dialogue, and the deconstruction of rigid cultural perspectives, with a particular focus on identity, minority experiences, and marginalized narratives in contemporary culture. He is actively involved with the Organization for the Democratization of Visual Arts (ODBK) in Berlin, contributing to equality and inclusion initiatives for art minorities, and lectures widely as an academic guest professor in art theory and new media, including at the University of Minnesota and Sorbonne Abu Dhabi.
Participating Artists
Four Pavilions
A journey tracing the path from the spiritual to the futuristic, set within the evocative architecture of Al Jazeera Al Hamra.
The Spirit Within
Since the dawn of time, human beings have sought meaning through their connection to the spiritual. Across cultures and generations, they have shaped belief systems, rituals, and values that not only define how we relate to the world but also reflect our inner selves. The spirit finds expression in our relationship with nature, the languages we speak, the art we create, and the ways we perceive reality.
Under the Same Sky
Over the past two decades, there has been a renewed appreciation for traditional crafts—objects once deeply rooted in heritage, tribe, and memory. But what happens when emerging technologies and artificial intelligence begin to shape the way we design, create, and think? This pavilion explores that question through artworks that merge ancient sensibilities with contemporary tools.
Visions from the Source
Across history and sacred texts, women have stood at the heart of human existence—shaping societies, nurturing families, and carrying cultural memory. As civilizations evolve, women artists continue this legacy, transforming lived experiences, emotions, and identities into resonant works of art. This pavilion celebrates the voices of female artists, opening windows into personal and collective worlds.
Future Horizons
In an era of accelerating change, art and technology converge to imagine new possibilities for humankind. This pavilion explores speculative futures—where AI, data, and digital tools coexist with myth, ritual, and memory. The works question what it means to create, to dream, and to belong in an age when the boundaries between the physical and virtual blur.