The Resident: Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi’s Guide to Sharjah
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Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi is best known for two things: his Twitter and newspaper commentary on Arab affairs — for which TIME magazine listed him in the “140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2011,” and as the founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation.Barjeel A
The Resident: Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi’s Guide to Sharjah
Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi is best known for two things: his Twitter and newspaper commentary on Arab affairs — for which TIME magazine listed him in the “140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2011,” and as the founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation.Barjeel Art Foundation was established to manage, preserve, and exhibit Al-Qassemi’s personal art collection, with the aim of contributing to the intellectual development of the art scene in the Arab region by building a prominent and publicly accessible art collection in the United Arab Emirates.But although the Sharjah-based polymath is most frequently mentioned in relation to his Twitter account and his art collection, he has plenty more strings to his bow. He is also a lecturer, columnist, entrepreneur, scholar, Partner of Meem Gallery, founder and chairman of the financial products company Barjeel Securities, an MIT Media Labs Director’s Fellow, and a non-resident Fellow at the Dubai School of Government, to name but a few of his diverse roles.As the Barjeel Art Foundation celebrates the launch of an exhibition of Arab Modern art at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA), BLOUIN ARTINFO got in touch with Sultan Al-Qassemi and asked him to share some of his favorite places in his home city of Sharjah.Where would you head to in Sharjah to find new inspiration in life and work?The Sharjah Public Library and anywhere along the Sharjah corniche. What are your recommendations for must-visit places in Sharjah and why?Sharjah has numerous must-visit places that include many different types of museums. The Sharjah Art Foundation spaces feature some of the most cutting edge exhibitions of Modern and Contemporary art, along with the Sharjah Art Museum. Down the road, along the corniche, there is the Museum of Islamic Civilisation that houses an extensive collection of artifacts and models in the traditional Souq Al Majarrah.What restaurants and cafes would you recommend in Sharjah and why?There are quite a few gems in Sharjah, depending on what kind of cuisine you are looking for. My team has their favorite local restaurants that include Syrian cuisine at Aroos Damascus, Pakistani at Najmat Lahore, Thai at Bangkok Town, and Iraqi at Maskoof, as well as freshly made ice cream and sorbets at Zahrat Al Shemal. There are also a number of cafes and restaurants in Al Qasba that include Fenyaal cafe and Lebanese food at Shababeek.How would you spend a free morning or afternoon in Sharjah?Before heading to work, I often take my architecture tour of the city looking for new buildings to document and research. Where would you head to in Sharjah for the best shopping and what would you buy?Iranian carpets at Al Souq Al Markazi.Where would you recommend people stay when they visit Sharjah?The 72 By Hues hotel.What are the best places to see and buy art in Sharjah?Sharjah does not have commercial art galleries, but the best places to see art are the Sharjah Art Museum, the Sharjah Art Foundation spaces, and the Maraya Art Centre (home to Maraya Art Gallery and Barjeel Art Centre).What projects are you currently working on/involved in?We are currently involved in a number of upcoming international exhibitions before the end of this year and next year that include the first exhibition of Modern Arab art in Tehran opening on November 8, called “The Sea Suspended,” as well as an exhibition on the Hurufiyya movement at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt. Next year we hit the ground running with three exhibition openings in February: one at Yale University Art Gallery and the other at the Institut du monde arabe. In March, we have the second installment of our local show "Beloved Bodies," and the launch of our exhibition at the Jordan National Gallery. Read more
