ABSTRACT
Lebanese artist Rayyane Tabet produced an art installation for the Sharjah Biennial in 2011 entitled Home on Neutral Ground. This installation explored a story of connection between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE. These networks were addressed through the relationships that exist between sports, politics, and human nature. The installation included three parts: an aerial photograph of land in Afghanistan installed on the pitch at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium for one night, projections of a full day of filming at the stadium, and a drawing of a cricket pitch (Sharjah Art Foundation, 2011). The story behind the work illuminates the important role that art institutions in the UAE play in promoting regional art on a global level, and how these developments challenge the dominance of the West as global platform for contemporary art.
