The Xposure International Photography Festival, organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), is offering an immersive photography experience,and making art accessible throughout the year with the launch of Gallery X, a permanent gallery dedicated to showcasing a curated selection of works by some of the world’s best photographers.

With a new exhibition featured every month, Gallery X – housed at the iconic Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah will open to the public from December 20, 2021, offering a unique opportunity to discover some of the finest examples of the art of photography and explore distinctive approaches to the medium throughout the year. The highly aesthetic collection celebrates the artistic excellence of talented emerging and acclaimed photographers worldwide.

Ahead of the Xposure 2022, Gallery X marks its debut with a stunning collection of photographic prints by two award-winning international photographers, whose emotionally resonant works are rich in stories. The new cultural and educational hotspot will also offer creatives and emerging talents regular academic programmes as well as expert workshops. It includes a café for visitors and an interactive reading area for photographers as well as those interested in the visual arts.

Two globally acclaimed photographers

Gallery X will open with the award-winning images of two internationally renowned photographers, Francesco Zizola and Anthony Lamb.

Italian photojournalist and founding member of NOOR photo agency, Francesco Zizolahas documented major world conflicts since the 1980s, and focuses on social and humanitarian issues. His distinctive aesthetic eye has earned him many awards, including 10 World Press Photo contests, and six Picture of the Year International awards. He has published 10 books and his experimental film As If We Were Tuna, won an award at the 2018 Venice Film Festival. The photographs on show at Gallery X are part of a long-term project that Zizola has been working on for the past few years concerning the relationship between man and nature.

Anthony Lamb, a fine art photographer based in London and Dubai, will showcase a collection of his unique pictures that makes use of negative space and an ethereal aesthetic to imbue a sense of calm in the viewer.  His works have appeared in leading publications including Timeout, Outdoor Photographer and Practical Photography, among many more. His recent project comprises of a series of images taken in the Arabian Desert called ‘Desert Portraits’. Since 2015, Lamb has been exploring man’s relationship with the coast and has utilised the technique of long exposure, using man-made structures as singular and paired subjects.

Sustainable photography platform

HE Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of Sharjah Government Media Bureau, said: “The permanent exhibition offers a sustainable platform for amateur photographers, experts and the public to come together, learn and hone their skills through expert workshops and programmes which will be available monthly throughout the year.”

“Gallery X aims to promote the position of Al Majaz Amphitheatre as a destination for art and creativity and builds on Xposure’s mission to provide an opportunity for the public to get acquainted with the work of globally acclaimed photographers and raise community awareness about the role of photography in our life. The exhibition is an inclusive creative space that brings photographers and the public together and enriches the cultural landscape of Sharjah.”

Launched at Xposure 2021, Gallery X is a permanent gallery in Sharjah and aims to provide a new opportunity for photography lovers to come together, learn, develop their skills, and share expertise.